Traditional German Rustic Bread Loaf Recipe
This Traditional German Rustic Bread Loaf recipe combines white, wheat, and rye flours with a unique bread spice blend to create a hearty, aromatic loaf with a delicate crust and warm flavors. Perfect for those who appreciate a wholesome, artisan-style bread baked at home.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: German
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups white flour
- 1 1/4 cups wheat flour
- 1 cup rye flour
- 1 tbsp. bread spice blend
- 1 tbsp. coarse Kosher salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. instant yeast
- 1 1/2 tbsp. honey
- 1 1/3 cups warm water
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine 2 cups white flour, 1 1/4 cups wheat flour, 1 cup rye flour, and 1 tbsp. bread spice blend. This will create a fragrant base for your dough.
- Activate Yeast: Dissolve 1 tbsp. instant yeast and 1 1/2 tbsp. honey in 1 1/3 cups warm water, creating a lightly sweetened liquid to activate the yeast.
- Combine Ingredients: Pour the yeast mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy, cohesive dough forms, filling your kitchen with earthy rye aromas.
- Knead Dough: Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic, slightly tacky but not sticky, releasing the bread spice scents.
- First Rise: Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour until doubled in size for a light texture.
- Shape Loaf: Gently punch down the risen dough and shape into a tight oval loaf with a smooth surface, preparing it for the finale.
- Final Rise: Place shaped dough on a baking sheet, cover, and let rise for 30 minutes while preheating your oven to 375°F.
- Bake: Bake the loaf for 40 minutes until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped, filling your kitchen with spiced bread aroma.
- Cool and Serve: Let the bread cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before slicing to enjoy the perfect combination of hearty texture and warm spices.
Notes
- Use warm water around 100-110°F to properly activate the yeast without killing it.
- If you don’t have bread spice blend, a mix of caraway seeds, anise, and fennel can be used as a substitute.
- Kneading by hand helps develop gluten for better texture but can be substituted with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook for about 7-8 minutes.
- Ensure the dough is covered during rising to prevent a dry crust from forming.
- Baking on a preheated baking stone or a heavy baking sheet can improve crust texture.
- Letting the bread cool completely enhances slicing and flavor development.
