Foolproof BreadItaliano

German farmhouse bread: the recipe

German farmhouse bread

A rustic bread inspired by the tradition of the great German wood-fired ovens.

Its hallmark is the use of quark — a creamy dairy product similar to full-fat yogurt or sour cream — which gives the dough a unique texture and aroma. This recipe uses full-fat yogurt instead, easier to find.

The secret to this bread's success is a deep, intense bake: The crust must colour decisively, showing golden and brown shades all over the surface. It's exactly this push in the oven that gives it its characteristic aroma and its typical rustic beauty.

This recipe is freely inspired by, or adapted from, a formula by Master Jeffrey Hamelman.

At a glance

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Ingredients

Quantities for 2 pieces of 680 g, kitchen at 21 °C

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Method

  1. Weigh the ingredients and knead (1 h 35 min)
    • Use water at 22 °C
    • Hold back 128 g of water and pour it in gradually while it comes together
  2. End of mixing, start of bulk rise (at room temperature) (3 hours)
    Reinforce the dough with a fold about every 45 minutes, in the first part of bulk fermentation: The times are in the Programma above.
  3. Reinforcement fold 1 of 3
  4. Reinforcement fold 2 of 3
  5. Reinforcement fold 3 of 3
  6. Divide/shape: weigh and form the pieces (5 min)
    • Divide into 680 g pieces, preshape lightly into rounds and let rest covered with plastic until relaxed enough.
    • Shape into strong round loaves and place them into floured bannetons or between the folds of a floured linen couche, covered with plastic.
  7. Start of proofing (at room temperature) (1 hour)
    About 1 hour at 24 °C.
  8. Ready to cook

Want to change when you start or when you bake? The calculator gives you the schedule with exact times. Open the calculator

Baking

    • conventional oven, with steam
    • Overall temperature: 240 °C
    • Time: 37 minutes
    • Normal steam. If the crust is darkening too fast, lower the temperature by 5 °C for the last part of the bake.

The calculator adapts baking times to the weight of your pieces. Open the calculator

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