Vollkornbrot

15 Reviews 4.5 out of 5 stars

This traditional whole grain loaf is deeply rye-flavored with a fine-grained, dense texture. It's surprisingly simple to make, requiring very little hands-on time or kneading. Enjoy thin slices of this loaf with cured ham or salmon, your favorite preserve, or a simple slather of butter. It will keep for weeks wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator, or for months in the freezer.  

Prep
15 mins
Bake
1 hr 10 mins to 1 hr 25 mins
Total
14 hrs 40 mins
Yield
one 13" loaf
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Vollkornbrot

Instructions

  1. For the starter: Mix all the ingredients until smooth, cover, and let rest at room temperature overnight.

  2. For the soaker: Combine the rye chops and water, cover and let rest at room temperature overnight.

  3. The next day, lightly grease the inside of a 13" pain de mie (pullman loaf) pan, then dust it with pumpernickel flour.

  4. For the dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the starter, soaker, and dough ingredients, by hand or using a stand mixer. Mix and knead the dough until it becomes dense and sticky, but still loose; it won't require a lot of mixing.

  5. Transfer the dough directly to a lightly greased work surface and form it into a 13" log. Place the log in the prepared pan.

  6. Sprinkle a thin layer of pumpernickel flour over the surface of the dough, cover with plastic wrap, and allow the dough to sit for 60 minutes, until just slightly risen. You'll see cracks in the surface of the flour coating as the dough expands. 

  7. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 450°F.

  8. Uncover the bread and bake the loaf (without the lid on the pan) for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 425° and bake for 50 to 60 minutes longer, until the surface is cracked and dark brown.

  9. Remove the bread from the oven, take the bread from the pan, and transfer it to a baking sheet. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the loaf's internal temperature reaches at least 205° on a digital thermometer inserted into the center.

  10. Remove the loaf from the oven, and transfer it to a rack to cool completely. Wrap the cooled bread in a towel, or place it in a paper bag and let it rest for at least 24 to 48 hours before slicing.

  11. Store wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 1 month, or freeze for longer storage.

Tips from our Bakers

  • Don’t have any starter? Here’s a recipe for homemade sourdough starter. If you're making it from scratch, you'll need to feed it for 5 to 7 days before it’s ready for baking. Want a head start? Purchase our classic fresh sourdough starter – it’ll be ready for baking about 24 hours after it arrives at your door. Looking for tips, techniques, and all kinds of great information about sourdough baking? Find what you need in our sourdough baking guide.

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