German Farmer's Bread

By MJH

Video:http://video.about.com/germanfood/How-to-Make-German-Farmer-s-Bread.htm

Ingredients

• 2 and 1/2 cups bread flour (or all purpose flour)
• 2 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp caraway seeds
• 1 and 1/2 tsp instant yeast (or 1 and 1/2 heaping tsp active dry yeast moistened in 1 tbsp water)
• 1 cup milk mixed with
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 to 2 tbsp water if needed

Details

Adapted from thevillagegreenpreservationsociety.wordpress.com

Preparation

Step 1

How to Make the Dough for German Farmer's Bread:
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

You can also place these in a bread machine, or a standing mixer.

Add the remaining ingredients except the water, and mix the dough for 5 to 7 minutes.

The dough should be slightly sticky during mixing, so you can add 1 to 2 tbsp water if needed.

Wait 5 minutes, turn the dough on a lightly floured board, then knead for 1 minute.

Form the dough into a clean ball, and place the dough in an oiled bowl.

Cover this, and let it rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until doubled in size.


How to Form the Dough into a Loaf:
While forming the dough into a loaf, maintain the integrity of the inner air pockets as much as possible.

Avoid pressing the dough any more than necessary.

Gently pat the dough into a long rectangle.

Fold 1/3 of the dough to the middle, lengthwise, then pinch the seam sparingly with your fingers.

Do the same to the other side.

Roll the loaf over to be seam side down, then rock the loaf gently, cupping the ends with your hands to round out the ends.

Place the dough on parchment paper, and let the loaf rise 1 to 2 hours, or until doubled in size.



Instructions for Baking German Farmer's Bread:
Thirty minutes before you bake the bread, slash the loaf lengthwise 1/4 inch deep with a very sharp knife or a razor blade.

Heat the oven to 500 degrees 1 hour before baking.

If you have a baking stone, we will be using it for the bread.

If not, when you place the loaf in the oven, include an oven safe dish filled with 2 cups of water on the middle or lower rack.

Squirt the sides of the oven with a spray bottle filled with water at 2, 5 and 7 minutes.

Turn the temperature down to 450 degrees and bake for 20 minutes.

Turn the temperature down again to 350 degrees, and bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes.

The internal temperature of the loaf should reach 190-200 degrees.

The bread is ready to come out of the oven when it makes a hollow sound when tapped.

Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool for 2 hours before slicing.