Hi, all. I'm new around here, but thought maybe someone here could help me out.
More than 20 years ago I was an exchange student in Wurzburg, Germany (in lower Franconia). The staple bread in the home I lived in was known as Schwarzbrot (black bread). I'm not sure if it is native to that area or to Rhineland-Pfalz (my host-father was from there). Anyway, it was round, strongly flavored, and very dark brown and some loaves were enormous. I once saw a 2 kg loaf!
Lots of german sourdoughs, baguettes, wonderful pasties.
If I can't bake I buy bread here.
Prairie19
This is a refreshed continuation of the long discussion we've had over the past 10 days or so about German Rye breads.
I was in Hamilton, Ont. last week and not only brought home some Dumpflmeier Klosterbrot (still the best tasting rye I know) but read as many labels as I could. Here is what I learned:
1. The amount of rye in the recipe is very small ... it is the third ingredient listed after white flour, and natural rye starter.
2. the loaves are enormous ... 10 lb. Significance???
Hey, y'all. I have finally decided to branch out and give honest-to-gosh rye bread a whirl. I have a nice rye starter working, and I'd love to use it to recreate the fabulous rye I had in southern Germany lo these many years ago. It was medium brown inside -- not as dark as pumpernickel -- with a dark, glossy, chewy crust and a fantastic spongy texture. And oh yeah, the taste. Magnifico. (My memory may be slightly colored by the fact that when I was eating this bread I was a hungry youn'un schlepping a 50-pound pack across the byways of Europe. But it really was delish.)
