German Pretzel Buns Recipe

German Pretzel Buns Recipe

German Pretzel Buns Recipe – Laugenstangen

The dough of the German pretzel buns recipe is a little different from the dough of my soft pretzels. Whereas I use water to make the pretzel dough, I use a mixture of milk and water for the buns. The second rising of the pretzel is after the first rising at a warm place, and the dough of the bun dough rises overnight in the refrigerator. 

Ingredients for the German Pretzel Buns Recipe:

  • 500 g (1.1 lbs) of flour, all-purpose
  • 1 pouch of dry yeast, rapid rise
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar
  • 1 teaspoons of salt
  • 40 g (1.41 oz) of butter, soft
  • 150 ml (5.07 oz) of water, lukewarm
  • 150 ml (5.07 oz) of milk, lukewarm
  • 1-2 tablespoons of salt, coarse

For the lye:

  • 1 l (1.05 qt) of water
  • 60 g (2.11 oz) of baking soda

Mix the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Cut the butter into slices and spread it on top of the flour. Mix the milk and water and heat up to lukewarm. Add half of the water milk mixture to the flour and start kneading on low, while gradually adding the rest of the liquids. Knead for 8 minutes until the dough loosens from the sides of the bowl.

Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rise for 40 minutes or until it has doubled.

Shaping of the buns:

Take the dough out of the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface. Cut pieces of 90 g to make the buns. The dough is very tense and quickly dries out. Therefore cover the unused portions with cellophane foil while working on the shaping of the rolls.

Make a ball of each piece and flatten it using the palm of your hand or a rolling pin. Roll the dough tightly about 6 inches in a way that the ends are thinner.

Rolling a ball for the German Pretzel Buns Recipe   Flatten the dough   Making a tide roll

Close the seam with the fingers, turn the roll around and place it on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Cover the baking sheet with a kitchen towel and let the buns rest overnight in the refrigerator.

Closing the roll of the German Pretzel Buns Recipe   Shaping the buns   Rising of the dough

Preparation of the soda lye:

Use plastic gloves to prepare the lye and to work with the dipped buns. Fill a saucepan with the water, and bring it to a boil. Remove the pan from the stove and slowly and carefully add the baking soda to the water while stirring. The baking soda will bubble, so make sure that your saucepan is high enough. Bring the liquid back to a boil again, turn the heat down and let it simmer. Carefully dip the buns into the lye, leaving them no more than 30 seconds in it. Make sure the pretzels are entirely dipped into the water.  

Remove the pretzels from the soda lye with a skimming ladle and place them on a cooling rack covered with baking paper to let them drip and rise.

Baking of the buns:

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 220°C – 425° F. Transfer the buns on a baking sheet covered with a double layer of baking paper. Make two cuts diagonal into the buns using a sharp knife or a razor blade and brush them with the lye before sprinkling the coarse salt on top. 

Dipping the rolls of the German Pretzel Buns Recipe   Preparation of the buns   Baking of the buns

Bake the pretzel buns for 15-17 minutes using the third rack. Once you take the buns out of the oven, immediately spray them with water for a nice shine and let them cool down on a cooling rack.

You can serve the pretzel buns with Oma’s Obatzda here, a traditional cheese butter spread, or one of the flavored butter spread here.

 

 

Authentic German Bread Recipe

Authentic German Bread

Authentic German Bread – Farmer’s Bread – Bauernbrot

The Authentic German Bread – Farmer’s Bread is made in Germany mostly with flour # 812, which is not available in the States. Therefore I combined bread flour with whole grain whole wheat flour, and the result is speaking for itself.

Ingredients for the Authentic German Bread:

  • 550 g (1.21 lbs) of bread flour
  • 200 g (7.05 oz) of 100% whole grain whole wheat flour
  • 1 ½ pouches of dry yeast, rapid rise
  • 3 tablespoons of diastatic malt powder
  • 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil
  • 2 teaspoons of salt
  • 2 teaspoons of sugar
  • ½ teaspoon of ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon of ground fennel
  • ½ teaspoon of ground caraway
  • 470 ml (15.89 oz) of water, lukewarm

Preparation of the dough:

Mix the flour in a bowl of a stand mixer and add yeast, diastatic malt powder, salt, sugar, spices, sunflower oil, and half of the lukewarm water. Start kneading on low while slowly adding the rest of the water. Knead for 8 minutes and transfer the dough into a bowl covered with flour on the bottom. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise for 20 minutes.

Preparation of the dough for the Authentic German Bread   Kneading of the dough   Rising of the dough

Shaping the bread:

Knead the dough with your hands and roll it with a rolling pin to a circle. Fold the edges of the dough into the center and close the seam with the fingers. Turn the dough around and form a smooth ball. Place the dough ball with the seam on top into a bread basket floured with a mixture of 1 teaspoon potato starch and 1 teaspoon of flour. My breadbasket measures 8.5 inches in diameter. Cover it with a kitchen towel and let it rise for 20 minutes.

Shaping of the Authentic German Bread   Folding of the dough   Forming a ball

Baking of the bread:

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 210°C – 410°F and have a pot with water on the bottom of the oven to create steam.

Take the bread out of the breadbasket and make cuts on the top. Sift the flour on the top of the bread and place it on a baking sheet covered with baking paper.

Breadbasket  Cutting the top of the bread   Baking of the Authentic German Bread

Add 3 ice cubes left and right to the pot on the oven’s bottom to create more steam and place the bread on the oven’s third rack. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Open the door entirely after 20 minutes to release steam and remove the pot with water. Close the door again and continue baking.

Let the bread cool down on a cooling rack. Click here to make the Onion Bread, and to make the Breakfast Rolls click here, and for the Spelt Rolls, click here.

 

 

German Raisin Bun Recipe

German Raisin Bun Recipe

German Raisin Bun Recipe – Rosinenbrötchen

The German Raisin Bun Recipe makes soft fluffy sweet bread rolls. A rich yeast dough including butter, milk, and raisins. The step-by-step instructions make it easy to prepare the dough.

Ingredients for the German Raisin Bun Recipe:

  • 150 g + 350 g  (5.29 oz + 12.34 oz) of all-purpose flour
  • 5 + 2 tablespoons of sugar
  • 250 ml (8.45 oz) of milk, lukewarm
  • 1 pouch of dry yeast, rapid rise
  • 2 tablespoons of diastatic malt powder (optional)
  • 2 pouches of vanilla sugar OR 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 lemon, zest
  • 1 egg, XL
  • 80 g (2.82 oz) of butter, soft
  • 150 g (5.29 oz) of raisins

For Brushing

  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon of milk

Preparation of the Buns:

Before making the dough, place the raisins in a bowl and let them soak in hot water.

To make a pre-dough, add 150 g – 5.29 oz of the flour, 2 tablespoons of sugar, yeast, and lukewarm milk into a bowl. Stir the ingredients with a whisk to dissolve the flour’s lumps, and the pre-dough is smooth. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rise for 35-40 minutes.

Add 350 g – 12.34 oz flour, 5 tablespoons of sugar, vanilla flavor, lemon zest, salt, diastatic malt powder, egg, and soft butter to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer and add the pre-dough to the mixture. Knead the dough for 6-8 minutes on low.

Preparation for the German Raisin Bun Recipe   Making the dough   Kneading the dough

Finishing the dough:

Roll the dough to a rectangle using a rolling pin, drain the raisins, and spread them onto the dough. Fold the corners of the dough over the raisins to the center. Knead the dough with your hands to work the raisins into the dough. If the dough is too sticky, flour the surface and the hands. The dough does not need to rise again.

Shaping the Buns:

Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. I use a kitchen scale. Roll each piece between the hands to a smooth ball and place it on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Flatten the balls lightly. Cover the buns with a kitchen towel and let them rise for 30 minutes.

Finishing the dough for the German Raisin Bun Recipe   Adding the raisins to the dough and fold  

Mix an egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of milk and brush the buns with it.

Baking of the Buns:

Preheat the oven to 200°C – 390°F. Place the buns on the third rack (middle rack) and let them bake for 18-20 minutes. Let them cool down on a cooling rack.

To make the Sweet Rolls – Buchteln, click here, the German Pretzel Buns, click here, and for the Quick Baguette Rolls, click here.

German Raisin Bun Recipe

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quark Bread Boule

Quark Bread Boule Recipe

Quark Bread Boule – Airy, fluffy homemade bread

To prepare this Quark Bread Boule Recipe, I used my homemade quark, milk, and egg yolks to make an airy, fluffy bread with a crisp crust. It turned out I made the right choice using the homemade quark prepared with my recipe here. You also can use quark bought in a store or sour cream as a substitute.

Ingredients for the Quark Bread Boule Recipe:

  • 500 g (1.1 lbs) of bread flour
  • 1 pouch of dry yeast, rapid rise
  • 2 tablespoons of diastatic malt powder
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 2 egg yolks, XL
  • 150 ml (5.07 oz) of whole milk, lukewarm
  • 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil
  • 250 g (8.81 oz) of quark OR sour cream

Preparation of the dough:

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl of the stand mixer. Add sugar, salt, yeast, and diastatic malt powder to it and stir with a spoon. Place the egg yolks in the center of the bowl, cover with flour, spread the lukewarm milk and sunflower oil over the ingredients, and start kneading on low. Slowly add the quark or sour cream teaspoon by teaspoon to the bowl while kneading. Knead for 6 minutes until the dough is soft and loosens from the sides of the bowl. Place the dough into a bowl covered with flour on the bottom. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rise for about 40 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preparation of the dough for the Quark Bread Boule   Combining ingredients   Kneading of the dough

Shaping of the bread:

Knead the dough again using the hands. Roll the dough into a small circle using the rolling pin. Fold the edges to the center while turning the dough. Turn the dough around with the seam down and form a ball. Smooth the ball with strokes of your hands from the top over the sides to the bottom. The dough should always have contact with the surface. Place the ball with the seam on top into a round breadbasket (9 in – 22.86 cm in diameter) floured with 1 teaspoon of flour mixed with 1 teaspoon of potato starch. Cover the basket and let the dough rise for 20 minutes.

Folding of the dough for the Quark Bread Boule   Shaping of the dough   Shaping of the Quark Bread Boule

Baking of the bread:

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 190°C – 375°F and place a pot with cold water on the bottom (my pot measures 9 inches in diameter and is 4 inches high).

Take the bread out of the basket and make cuts on the top using a sharp knife or a razor blade. Sprinkle flour on the top and place the bread on a baking sheet covered with baking paper.

Add 3 ice cubes left and right of the pot on the oven’s bottom to create more steam and place the bread on the third rack. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Open the door completely after 20 minutes to release steam and close again. I leave the pot with water in the oven during baking time, but you also can take it out after opening the door.

Preparation for baking   Cutting the bread   Baking of the Quark Bread Boule

Let the bread cool down on a cooling rack. If you want to try the oatmeal bread, click here; for the buttermilk bread, click here, and for the breakfast rolls, click here.

 

 

Homemade Breakfast Rolls

Homemade Breakfast Rolls Recipe

Homemade Breakfast Rolls – Frühstücksbrötchen

The Homemade Breakfast Rolls are easy to prepare. All it takes is some understanding of how to work the dough. The kneading of the dough is very important. Make sure the dough is moist but not sticky. Breakfast Rolls are called Fruehstuecksbroetchen in Germany.

Ingredients for Homemade Breakfast Rolls:

  • 500 g (1.1 lbs) of all-purpose flour, unbleached
  • 1 pouch of dry yeast, rapid rise
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil
  • 350 ml (11.83 oz) of water, lukewarm
  • 2 tablespoons of diastatic malt powder

Preparation of the dough:

Mix the flour, salt, yeast, diastatic malt powder, and sunflower oil in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer with a spoon. Warm up the water (lukewarm) and pour the half into the flour mix. Start kneading on low while slowly adding the rest of the water. Knead for 6 minutes. 

Sprinkle some flour on the bottom of a bowl and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and leave it to rise for about 40 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Shaping of the roll:

Knead the dough with your hands, form a roll, and cut pieces between 80-90 g (2.9-3.15 oz) using a pastry scraper. Flatten each piece of dough a little and fold the edges to the middle. Place the seam down. Roll the dough in circles with the cupped fingers and palm of your hand. The side of the hand should always contact the countertop so that the dough ball moves in the hand with light pressure of the palm.

Folding the dough   Forming the balls for the homemade Sunday rolls   Finishing the rolls

Place the balls on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Press them lightly down and shape them to a roll. Cut the top using a sharp knife or a razor blade. Cover the rolls and let them rise for 30 minutes.

Baking of the rolls:

In the meantime, place a heat-resistant pot of water on the bottom of the oven and preheat to 230°C – 450°F.

Add 3 ice cubes left and right of the pot on the oven’s bottom to create more steam and place the rolls on the third rack. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Turn the heat down after 10 minutes baking time to 220°C – 425°F.

After 10 minutes baking time, open the door completely to release steam and close again. I leave the pot with water in the oven during baking time, but you also can take it out after opening the door.

Brush the rolls after baking immediately with water and let them cool down on a cooling rack.

Serving suggestion: Serve the rolls with Oma’s Homemade Quark. To try the Homemade Buttermilk Bread click here, the Homemade Baguette click here, and the Homemade Cornbread click here

Homemade Breakfast Rolls

 

 

 

Spelt Rolls Recipe

Spelt Rolls Recipe – Dinkelbrötchen

I used for the spelt rolls recipe 100% organic spelt flour and sprinkled pumpkin seeds on top of the rolls. The dough needs to rise only once for 30 minutes, which saves time.

Ingredients for the Spelt Rolls Recipe:

  • 500 g (1.1 lbs) of organic spelt flour
  • 1 pouch of dry yeast, rapid rise
  • 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • 2 teaspoons of salt
  • 300 ml (10.14 oz) of water, lukewarm
  • 2 tablespoons of diastatic malt powder
  • 3 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds OR sunflower seeds

Preparation of the dough:

Mix the flour with half of the lukewarm water and place it in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Start kneading on low while slowly adding the rest of the water. Knead for 8 minutes. Transfer the dough to a bowl lightly covered with flour. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. The dough will not rise to double.

Preparation of the dough for the spelt rolls                     finishing the dough

In the meantime, place a heat-resistant pot of water on the bottom of the oven and preheat to 230°C – 450°F.

Shaping the rolls:

Take the dough out of the bowl and divide it into 8 equal pieces, each about 105 g – 3.7 oz. Roll the ball in circles with the cupped fingers and the palm of your hand. The side of the hand should always be in contact with the countertop. The dough has to move in the hand with light pressure of the palm while rolling around.

Press the dough ball down and either shape a round or oval roll. Make a cut into the roll using a sharp knife or a razor blade. Brush the roll with water and sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on top. Press the seeds lightly into the roll and place the rolls on a baking sheet covered with baking paper.

Shaping the rolls   Cutting the rolls   Baking the spelt rolls

Baking of the rolls:

Add 3 ice cubes left and right of the pot on the oven’s bottom to create more steam, place the rolls on the third rack, and bake for 20 minutes. After 10 minutes of baking time, turn the heat down to 200°C – 395°F for the remaining 10 minutes.

To make the Sunday rolls, click here, and to make the Kaiser Rolls click here.

 

 

homemade baguette recipe

Homemade Baguette Recipe

Homemade Baguette Recipe – Französisches Weißbrot

All you need to prepare this homemade baguette recipe are flour, yeast, salt, sugar, water, and diastatic malt powder. The original French flour T65 is not easy to find in the States, therefore I used all-purpose flour, which is a good substitute and worked out fine.

Ingredients for Homemade Baguette Recipe:

  • 250 g (8.81 oz) all-purpose flour, bleached
  • 250 g (8.81 oz) all-purpose flour, unbleached
  • 375 ml (12.68 oz) of water, lukewarm
  • 1 pouch of dry yeast, rapid rise
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of diastatic malt powder

Preparation of the dough:

Mix the flour and sift it into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Add yeast, diastatic malt powder, salt, sugar, and half of the lukewarm water and start to stir on low. Slowly add the rest of the water, mix shortly on higher speed until all ingredients are combined, then turn down to low. Knead for 5 minutes. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise for 40 minutes or until it has doubled.

Kneading the dough for the homemade baguette recipe  Preparation of the dough  Rising of the dough

Knead the dough with your hands. Flour the hands and surface because the dough is sticky. Fold the dough and let it rest for 60 minutes. Repeat the folding 2 more times, after 20 and 40 minutes.

Folding of the dough:

Shape the dough into a rectangle. Fold one corner to the center. Fold the second corner over the one in the center and continue with the two other corners. Place the dough with the seam down back into the bowl and let it rest. Repeat 2 more times, after 20 minutes and after 40 minutes.

Folding of the dough for the homemade baguette recipe  Shaping the dough   shaping a ball

Shaping the baguette:

Divide the dough in half to make 2 baguettes. Shape each dough into a rectangle. Fold one long side on top of the dough and roll the dough tightly towards you. Turn the seam to the top and close it with the fingers. Turn the seam down and roll the dough back and forth until you have reached a length of about 40 cm – 15.5 inches. Flour the top of the breads and place them on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Cover the breads and let them rest for 15 minutes.

Shaping the loaf of the homemade baguette recipe   Closing the bread   finishing the shape of the loaf

Baking of the bread:

In the meantime, place a heat-resistant pot of water on the bottom of the oven and preheat to 220°C – 425°F.

Add 3 ice cubes left and right of the pot on the oven’s bottom to create more steam. Make cuts into the breads using a sharp knife or a razor blade and place them on the third rack. Bake the breads for 30-35 minutes. Open the door completely after 15 minutes to release steam and close again.I leave the pot with water in the oven during baking time, but you also can take it out after opening the door.

flouring the bread of the homemade baguette recipe   baking of the bread   Finishing the homemade baguette recipe

To find the recipe for the buttermilk bread, click here, or for the oatmeal bread, click here and for the flavored bread, click here.

Serving the bread

 

 

 

Homemade Buttermilk Bread

Homemade Buttermilk Bread Recipe

Homemade Buttermilk Bread Recipe – Buttermilchbrot

The homemade buttermilk bread is crusty on the outside and light on the inside. You can use all-purpose flour, bread flour, spelt flour, rye flour, or a combination. It already makes a difference if you combine all-purpose flour of different brands.

Ingredients for Homemade Buttermilk Bread:

  • 350 g (12.34 oz) of Navajo Pride all-purpose flour OR bread flour
  • 200 g (7.05 oz) of all-purpose flour, unbleached
  • 400 ml (13.52 oz) of buttermilk
  • 1 pouch of dry yeast, rapid rise
  • 2 tablespoons of diastatic malt powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons of salt
  • 2 teaspoons of sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Preparation of the dough:

Mix the flour and sift it into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Add yeast, diastatic malt powder, sugar, and salt to it and stir the ingredients using a spoon before adding the oil. Warm up the buttermilk in the microwave lukewarm, pour half into the mixing bowl, and start kneading on low. Slowly add the rest of the buttermilk while kneading for 6 minutes. The dough is ready when it is smooth and loosens from the walls of the mixing bowl.

Place the dough in a bowl covered on the bottom with some flour. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled.

Shaping of the dough:

Knead the dough again using your hands. The shaping of the bread creates the tension of the surface. Flour the workspace and flatten the dough to a circle using a rolling pin. Fold the edges of the dough to the center of the dough. Turn the ball around with the seam down. Use both hands and stretch the outside of the ball while turning it. Place the bread with the seam on top into the breadbasket floured with a mixture of 1 teaspoon of potato starch and 1 teaspoon of flour. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise for 30 minutes.

Shaping the dough for the Homemade Buttermilk Bread   Rolling the dough   Using Breadbasket

Baking the Bread:

In the meantime, place a heat-resistant pot of water on the bottom of the oven and preheat to 195°C – 380°F.

Take the bread out of the basket and sift flour on top. Place the homemade flavored bread on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Make cuts on top of the bread in a criss-cross.

Add 3 ice cubes left and right of the pot on the oven’s bottom to create more steam and place the bread on the third rack. Bake the bread for 45-50 minutes. Open the door completely after 20 minutes to release steam and close again. I leave the pot with water in the oven during baking time, but you also can take it out after opening the door.

flouring the bread   Cutting the bread   Baking of the Homemade Buttermilk Bread

Let the bread cool down on a cooling rack. If you want to try the Homemade Sunday Rolls, click here, the Homemade Flavored Bread click here, and the Onion Bread click here.

Serving the bread

 

 

 

Onion Bread German Inspired

Onion Bread German Inspired

Onion Bread German Inspired – Zwiebelbrot

An Onion Bread German Inspired means it has to be hearty to support the large variety of German lunch meat. I used a combination of flour, fried onions, caraway seeds, and pepper to get a taste fitting to the Hausmacher Wurst, cheese, or lard spiced with salt and pepper with a pickle.

Ingredients:

  • 300 g (10.58 oz) all-purpose flour, Navajo Pride
  • 150 g (5.29 oz) spelt flour
  • 100 g (3.52 oz) rye flour
  • 200 g (7.05 oz) of onions, coarse diced
  • ¼ – ½ teaspoon of ground pepper, white (I used ½ teaspoon, because I like it spicy)
  • 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds
  • 1 teaspoon of ground rosemary
  • 1 ½ teaspoons of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • 5 + 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons of diastatic malt powder
  • 1 pouch of dry yeast, rapid rise
  • 340 ml (11.5 oz) of water, lukewarm

Preparation of the onions:

Dice the onions with a knife, do not use a blender or food processor, and place them in a bowl. Roll the diced onions in 1 tablespoon of flour. Heat 5 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and fry the onions until brown. Place them on a kitchen paper towel, put them aside, to let them dry and cool down.

Cutting the onions     Prepare the onions   Frying of the onions for the onion bread German inspired

Preparation of the dough:

Add the dry ingredients, including spices, into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and half of the water and start kneading on low while slowly adding the rest of the lukewarm water. Turn the speed to high for about one minute or until the ingredients are combined. Continue kneading on low for 5 minutes, and the dough does not stick to the bowl’s walls. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rise for 40 minutes or double in size.

Preparation of the dough for the onion bread German inspired  Kneading the dough   Resting of the dough

Press the dough down and add the onions. Knead the dough with your hands until the onions are worked into the dough. Stretch or roll the dough to a circle. Fold one side into the dough center and move it towards you while rolling to shape a loaf of 28 cm – 11 inches in length. 

Adding the onions to the onion bread German inspired   Shaping the roll   Shaping the loaf for the onion bread German inspired

Baking of the Onion Bread German Inspired:

Sift 2 teaspoons of flour mixed with 2 teaspoons of potato starch and lightly flour the breadbasket. Place the loaf with the seam on top into the basket, cover with a kitchen towel, and let it rise for 30 minutes.

In the meantime place a fire-resistant bowl or pot with water on the bottom of the oven. Preheat to 220°C – 425°F.  

Take the bread out of the breadbasket and place it on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Make the cuts on top of the bread. Add 3 ice cubes left and right of the pot on the oven’s bottom to create more steam. Place the bread on the third rack and bake for 40 minutes. Open the door completely after 20 minutes to release steam and close it again. I leave the pot with water in the oven during baking time, but you also can take it out after opening the door.

Preparation of the onion bread German inspired   placing the onion bread in basket  Baking the bread

After baking, brush the bread with water. Let the bread cool down on a cooling rack. If you want to try the Homemade Buttermilk Bread, click here, Homemade Flavored Bread, click here, and for the Oatmeal Bread, click here.

Finished onion bread

 

German Beer Bread one of the German Bread and Rolls Recipes

German Beer Bread Recipe

German Beer Bread Recipe – Bierbrot

The German Beer Bread is just one more adding to the variety of bread available in Germany. The recipe, including light or dark beer and spices combined with molasses, gives the bread that extra special taste.

Ingredients for the German Beer Bread:

  • 500 g (1.1 lbs) of bread flour
  • 100 g (2.52 oz) of rye flour
  • 150 g (5.29 oz) of spelt flour
  • 1 ½ pouches of dry yeast, rapid rise
  • 1 ½ teaspoons of salt
  • ½ teaspoon of ground rosemary
  • ½ teaspoon of ground caraway
  • ½ teaspoon of coriander
  • 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil
  • 2 tablespoons of molasses OR Grafschafter Zuckerrübensyrup
  • 355 ml (12 oz) of beer, room temperature (I used Spaten)
  • 150 ml (5.07 oz) of water, lukewarm
  • 4-5 tablespoons of sunflower seeds

If the ground spices are not available, grind the seeds in a coffee grinder.

Preparation of the dough:

Mix the flour, yeast, salt, and spices in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer and add the sunflower oil, molasses, and beer. Start kneading on low while gradually adding the lukewarm water. Kneading for 6 minutes until the dough loosens from the sides of the bowl.

The dough is a little sticky. Use a spatula to transfer the dough into a bowl covered with flour on the bottom. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rise for 40 minutes or until it has doubled.

preparation of the dough for the German Beer Bread   kneading of the dough   rising of the dough

Shaping the dough:

Flour the surface and hands lightly to knead the dough. Flatten the dough into a circle and start folding the edges from the outside to the center. Turn the dough around with the seam down. Make a smooth ball using both hands to pull the sides of the dough underneath the ball. Tuck the ends of the dough underneath while turning the dough in one direction. Place the bread with the seam on top into the floured breadbasket (9 inches in diameter) and cover it with a kitchen towel. Let it rise for 20 minutes.

Folding of the dough     shaping of the German Beer Bread

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 220°C – 425°F and place a pot with water on the bottom.

Baking of the bread:

Take the bread out of the basket, brush off the flour, and place it on a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Make cuts on top of the bread using a knife or razor blade and brush the bread with warm water. Sprinkle the sunflower seeds on top and lightly press them onto the bread. 

cutting the bread   sprinkle sunflower seeds on top   baking of the German Beer Bread

Add 3 ice cubes left and right to the pot on the oven’s bottom to create more steam. Place the bread on the third rack and bake for 35 minutes.  

After 15 minutes of baking, open the oven’s door entirely to release steam and remove the pot with the water. Close the door again and finish baking.

Let the bread cool down on a cooling rack. To make the oatmeal bread, click here; for the flavored bread, click here, and click here for the spelt rolls.