Name: German Black Bread with Sourdough
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 26 h 15 min
Cuisine: German
Ingredients: 2 cups dark rye flour; 1.5 cups Einkorn Flour (Substitute Wholegrain); 1 cup Emmer Flour (Substitute Wholegrain); ½ cup Emmer berries; 1 cup cracked Emmer berries; ¾ cup cracked Spelt berries; 2 ¼ cup buttermilk; ½ cup sunflower seeds; 1 cup Flax seeds; 2 cups sourdough starter; 4 tsp kosher salt; 2 tsp malt extract (substitute honey or molasses); 2 tsp malt powder (optional); 3 tbsp molasses (or honey); 2 tbsp rolled oats for sprinkling

German Black Bread with Sourdough

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4.9 from 23 reviews

Author: Sonja Goeden
Total Time: 26 hours 15 minutes
Yield: 40 slices 1x
Diet: Vegan

Description

This hearty German Black Bread with Sourdough is very similar to Pumpernickel, in that is has whole grains and is made with dark rye flour, baked very slowly. The added sourdough gives it more flavour and easy digestibility, while softening the grains in the slow fermentation. This is a dense and flavourful bread, amazing with both savoury and sweet toppings. And really good for you.

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 cups dark rye flour
1.5 cups Einkorn Flour (Substitute Wholegrain)
1 cup Emmer Flour (Substitute Wholegrain)
1/2 cup Emmer berries
1 cup cracked Emmer berries
3/4 cup cracked Spelt berries
2 1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup Flax seeds
2 cups sourdough starter
4 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp malt extract (substitute honey or molasses)
2 tsp malt powder (optional)
3 tbsp molasses (or honey)
2 tbsp rolled oats for sprinkling

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Instructions

Soak for short fermentation

If you plan to just ferment the dough for about 8h, pre-soak the grain berries in warm water and drain before mixing into the dough. For 24h, this step is not needed.

Combine the wet ingredients

Combine the wet ingredients in a bowl: buttermilk, sourdough starter, malt extract (or substitute with honey or molasses), and molasses (or honey). Mix thoroughly.

Mix Dough

For the next steps I have given instructions with the stand mixer, as this is a very heavy, sticky dough. But if you don’t have one or just enjoy kneading with your hands, it’ll work perfectly fine, if a bit messy.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the dark rye flour, Einkorn Flour (or substitute wholegrain flour), Emmer Flour (or substitute wholegrain flour), Emmer berries, cracked Emmer berries, cracked Spelt berries, sunflower seeds, Flax seeds, kosher salt, and malt powder (if using). Mix on low speed to evenly distribute the dry ingredients.
Add the wet ingredient mixture to the dry ingredients in the stand mixer bowl. Mix on low speed until the ingredients are combined, then increase the speed to medium. Knead for 5 to 8 minutes until the dough is thoroughly mixed. It will be very soft and sticky. There is no windowpane test or similar with this dough. It’s also very forgiving when it comes to the fermentation time.

Let it Rest

Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature for 8 to 24 hours to ferment and rise.

Bake

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Transfer the dough into a greased bread tin. Note: This makes 1 large bread tin or 2 standard ones. Alternatively do what I did and make one smaller loaf from the leftovers and bake it beside the tin on baking parchment. Sprinkle the top of the dough with rolled oats.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 100 to 120 minutes or until the bread reaches an internal temperature of 205°F (96°C).
Once baked, remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the tin for a few minutes. Then transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Enjoy your homemade German Black Bread with Sourdough!