Black Forest Bread Recipes

AUTHENTIC GERMAN BLACK BREAD (SCHWARZBROT)

Steps:

• Combine the water, sourdough starter, and one half of the cracked rye. Mixture will be soupy. Cover and allow to set at about 70° F for 8 to 10 hours.
• After 8 to 10 hours, the mixture will have absorbed water and be similar in consistency to porridge. Save 1 cup of this mixture for the next batch of bread, then add salt and the rest of the cracked rye.
• Allow the dough to ferment at about 70° F for 4 more hours. At the end of this time, work and squeeze the dough with your hands to develop its cohesiveness. The dough is nothing like wheat bread dough. It is very moist and slippery and cannot be kneaded. When a handful is squeezed, it will squirt out between your fingers.
• After working the dough for several minutes, pack it into bread forms, preferably glass. There's not much rising that goes on and too much air space in the bread would be detrimental to the texture. The moistness and acidity of the dough and the long baking time will strongly rust steel pans and etch aluminum ones. Pack the dough into the pan tightly and smooth the top with a spatula. Lay a piece of parchment paper over the top of the form and then cover tightly with aluminum foil. The aluminum foil keeps the bread from drying out and the parchment paper keeps the aluminum foil from dissolving into the bread. Bake at 225° F for 3½ hours.
• Turn the oven off but allow the bread to remain inside for a couple more hours. Carefully remove the bread from the pans and place on a rack to cool and dry. Ideally, you should wait a day or two until the bread becomes firmer before attempting to slice it.

BLACK FOREST PUMPERNICKEL BREAD MACHINE LOAF

Steps:

• Place all ingredients into your bread maker according to manufacture.
• Select type to a light crust.
• Press start.
• Remembering to check while starting to knead.
• If mixture is too dry add a tablespoon warm water at a time.
• If mixture is too wet add flour again a little at a time.
• Mixture should go into a ball form, and just soft and slightly sticky to the finger touch.
• This goes for all types of breads when kneading.
• This recipe makes a one and half pound loaf size.

BLACK FOREST BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.
• Stir in cranberries; make a well in center of mixture.
• Combine water and coffee granules; add buttermilk, sugar, honey, oil, vanilla, and egg, stirring well with a whisk.
• Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.
• Spoon batter into an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray.
• Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack, and remove from pan.
• Cool completely on wire rack.