The Fresh Loaf

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Dutch Brown Bread - Bruinbrood

sunhana's picture
sunhana

Dutch Brown Bread - Bruinbrood

I've never eaten dutch brown bread but my colleague ate it back in holland, adores it. I've came up with a recipe that uses 100% wholemeal flour, molasses syrup, instant yeast, gluten flour, salt and olive oil. Used prefermented dough method and the end result is soft, fluffy bread. the texture is okay but the color of the bread is not as dark as what my friend described. can anyone share their dutch brown bread recipe with me? or any pointers to get dark brown colored bread? I added a lot of molasses syrup but it just doesn't darken it that much.My friend said it's not rye (i tried added rye but she said brown bread has no sour taste). Please help...thanks.

PaddyL's picture
PaddyL

You can buy it in some stores, or make it yourself.  Or, if you're really desperate for the dark colour, use Kitchen Bouquet.

sunhana's picture
sunhana

So instead of molasses syrup, i should use caramel syrup?

PaddyL, sorry to ask, are u dutch? i am desperate for the authentic dutch brown bread recipe as i have attempted making it 5 times (all different recipes and combinations) but somehow the color just didn't work out. the only time it works is using almost 40% rye flour. but my friend said the dutch brown bread has no "tangy" taste (from rye).

Ok, maybe i will make caramel syrup next time to replace my molasses syrup (molasses syrup is in fact very dark in color).

thanks for the tip

sunhana's picture
sunhana

hmm...wonder if i can add some carob powder to darken it. but i don't want that "chocolate" taste as i think the dutch brown bread doesn't have such taste. has anyone tried using carob powder in bread?

sunhana's picture
sunhana

Thanks Liz. maybe i can use some malt extract to darken my wholemeal bread.

is it possible to describe the taste of bruinbrood? do u have a recipe that i can use? i can't read dutch so cannot use dutch recipes.

this is what i made yesterday with sunflow seeds but the color is not right.

 

clazar123's picture
clazar123

I googled the images of bruinbrood and most of them match what your bread looks like. A few were darker but when you visit the web page, these are commercially made loaves with LOTS of ingredients. I don't read Dutch or German but I can figure out enough to know there are gums and colorants. Your ingredients are much nicer!

If you want to just darken the bread for aesthetics, you have some options but I don't know if they would be "authentic".

1.Caramelized sugar along with the molasses is one. That way it won't be so bitter as the amount of molasses is decreased.

2.Use strong,dark coffe as the liquid or even instant  coffee powder.

3.Use cocoa or carob powder.

4.And King Arthur makes a caramel powder which is actually dried caramelized sugar that gives a nice dark coloration.

Kitchen Bouqet has other savory flavors in it but they might get lost so it might be worth a try. It is mostly carmelized sugar, I believe.

Have fun!

sunhana's picture
sunhana

Sharing my recipe here and see if anyone can help to improve this recipe...

Preferment dough

150g wholemeal flour, 110g water, 4g instant yeast,  2 tbsp molasses, 1/4 tsp salt

Mix and keep in fridge for at least 5 hrs

Mix prefermented dough with the following

50g wholemeal flour, 40g water, 1 tbsp olive oil, tbsp gluten flour, 1 tbsp millet

Mix until able to stretch thin window pane

Bake at 200 degree celcius for 30 mins

carefreebaker's picture
carefreebaker

Your bruinbrood looks like the color I had while living in Holland. is that krentenbrood I see? 

sunhana's picture
sunhana

I made 2 loaves and passed it to my colleague. she is kind enough to pass me back one slice to show me the inside. this is the pix. hmm i should say the color is close enough. but my colleague said maybe i can add a bit of sweetness to it (i didnt add any sugar except the molasses syrup for the coloring). From what i gathered from Liz, bruinbrood does has a bit of sweetness...maybe i will add about 20g to my recipe. So there is no standard recipe for bruinbrood?

Krentenbrood, the very first pix was given from my colleague which she took back in holland. The 2nd pic of the loaves with sunflower seeds are the one i made and also this pix attached.

Mebake's picture
Mebake

What a lovely soft looking whole wheat bread, Sunhana!

So, they use coloring exclusively for the brown effect, not whole wheat flour? or they use a mix of both?

-Khalid

sunhana's picture
sunhana

Hi Mebake, after making 6 different recipes (most of it i came up on my own), i am still clueless what contributes to the dark brown coloring. According to Liz from netherland, it might be caramel coloring that the baker used. But today i happened to come across this recipe that uses malt syrup which gives extra brown coloring, sweetness and flavour. will give this a try on sunday. stay tuned as i will post the modified recipe if it comes out successful.

sunhana's picture
sunhana

Hi henkverhaar, your loaves are so beautiful. Possible to share your recipe? I do have sourdough starter in my fridge calling out for me to use it =)...would love to give your recipe a try.

sunhana's picture
sunhana

Another "blind" attempt in making bruinbrood. This time, i added malt syrup. The dough is very wet as i didnt reduce the water. i almost gave up while waiting for the dough to proof but i just proceeded. To my surprise, the final loaf proof, the dough just started kicking in proofing beautifully. it grew 4 times its original size. the end product is this sweet and very tasty malt bread. Not sure if this is how bruinbrood taste but will soon let my colleague try. Before i ventured into adding malty syrup, i came upon VEDA bread which used malt syrup to enhance the taste. It is also something very unique in taste. just wonder if this VEDA bread is actually dutch bruinbrood. Many said with malt syrup added, the dough might be too sticky to work on. true enough, the dough was indeed very sticky. Wonder if my next attempt i should cut down the water. but somehow i wish not to as my final loaf is very soft, moist and malty! This time round, i didn't use 100% wholemeal flour. about 50% ww and 50% white bread flour. Still using prefermentation. Used both molasses and malt syrup. If anyone is keen with my recipe, please let me know =). i will post it here.

 

sunhana's picture
sunhana

Wow...sound interesting to give your recipe a try. but in Singapore it is almost impossible to get malt powder. Is your malt powder diastatic? I read up that it helps to improve the fermentation process. I can only get malt syrup which is not diastatic. wonder if it will work if i substitute with malt syrup. ascorbic acid is added as a dough improver right? hahaha i don't have that too. in singapore, bread making is still not very common. but will definitely try out your recipe as it sure looks promising =). btw, does this recipe get a sour tasting bread? Or should i control the prefermentation so that it doesn't develop sourness too much?