February 15, 2008 - 2:29pm
got a Volkornbrot recipe you're happy with?
I'd like to make a Volkornbrot as soon as my next order of rye berries arrives.
I have a nice big pullman/pain de mie pan, but to fill it it takes quite a quantity, so I was hoping someone would have a Volkornbrot that's tried and true. I have most bread books (blush), so if you just want to send me to a book, chances are that I will have the recipe.
I was disappointed by Reinhart's in Whole Grain Breads, the rye berries per his instructions are cooked way to mushy. I was looking at Dan Leader's recipe in Local Breads, and was also thinking of Hamelman's, but was hoping someone here could recommend a recipe. With the amount it takes to fill my pullman pan, it would be nice to have some recommendations.
Thanks in advance!
Share
This is the one I make, but it would take about 4 times this to fill the large Pullman pan.....qahtan
Volkornbrot
3 cups 5 or 7 grain cereal
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup molasses
3 cups hot water
Combine dry ingredients. Stir molasses and hot water into dry
ingredients. Let stand overnight. Turn mixture into small loaf
pan. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 275 for 3 hours.
Cool in pan. Wrap and keep in refrigerator. Keeps 2 weeks. Does not freeze well.
If I could make a suggestion, i've had particularly good results (of the two i've ever made with no professionally made loaves to compare too...but they were delicious!) with this way of doing it.
It's a hybrid of reinhart's and hamelman's. I took the mash formula portion from reinhart and used some rye berries/chops in it and used that in place of the soaker in hamelman's formula. I really wanted the flavor/texture advantages from the mash but for some reason I can't remember, I seemed to prefer hamelman's overall formula. The mash was great and smelled something like honey aftwerwards. I think I also put some toasted sunflower seeds into the loaf which i would recommend.
the second loaf i baked of this was very good flavor-wise (i could have improved the texture i think) and only got better as the days went on. The first loaf i made was a gift (yes, i was nervous. my first ever rye loaf given to a more or less stranger) and they said it was amazing. These were also (i feel so proud of this) my girlfriend's relatives/family friends who hail from germany, so there must have been something right about the formula. I would recommend using rye chops as opposed to whole berries like i did though; the ones that were on the crust tended to get very hard i wonder if that may have been the reason.
sorry for the long-winded, rambly post. i got excited/it was a weird day at work.
-Cyrus
Thanks everyone!! I will bake all your suggestions!!! :)
qahtan, I've never seen a recipe like that one with other grains, I'm used to them being rye, but that's interesting, sort of like a quickbread Volkornbrot. I will definitely try it.
umbreadman, I will try that for sure!! and thanks for the suggestion to use chops instead of whole berries. I'm wondering also if in the pullman pan it would steam the ones on top so crunchies would be less of a problem. BTW I love longwinded rambly replies packed with info!!
ostwestwin, thanks for the reply and beautiful picture. When I clicked on the link, I just got the picture, no recipe, so would you mind checking it for me or pasting the recipe in a reply. I will bake that also!!
Wow, the recipe looks beautiful! Thanks so much!!!
Now I'm eager for my rye berries to arrive.
ostwest, if I'm not bothering you to ask one more question, do you have a preference for the spice mix, which spices and amounts?