Bread

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What began as a makeshift in 2015 has now developed into a solid hobby: baking bread. Since I have been asked again and again by people around me, I have put together the most important basics to get started on this page.

For now, there are instructions for making and maintaining a rye sourdough, a recipe for my everyday bread, the “Clausener Kuuscht”, and some other recipes that I use regularly. More will be added in the future, e.g., for the “Mansfelder Donkel”, a juicy Pumpernickel. In addition, I collect recipes that I like and/or that I have already used for baking on a Pinterest Board.

The points behind the recipes describe the approximate experience level needed for their completion.

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Recipes

• >> Brömsenknöller | ●●○○
• >> Buttermilk crust | ●●●○
• >> Drager Landbrot | ●●●○
• >> Farmhouse bread | ●○○○
• >> Flatbreads, baked in the pan | ●○○○
• >> Mixed wheat bread "no knead" | ●○○○
• >> Pizza | ●●○○
• >> Rye-wheat bread "Clausener Kuuscht" | ●●●○
• >> Wheat-buttermilk bread | ●○○○
• >> Wholegrain rye bread with sunflower seeds | ●●●○

Sourdough

• >> Cultivate a starter
• >> Maintain a starter

Good books to read on

So far, I have mostly been working with German books (see the list below), many of which offer great introductory sections and recipes. As far as English books are concerned, I would recommend the following for beginners:

• Ken Forkish: Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread und Pizza. (Berkley: Ten Speed Press. 2012 | Great introduction to the essential bread-baking techniques; the recipe section contains mostly wheat-based breads, though; as a compensation, you get an extra part on how to bake a spectacular pizza
• Peter Reinhart: The Bread Baker’s Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread. 15th Anniversary Edition. Ten Speed Press. 2016 | A classic introductory book suitable for beginners and advanced home bakers written by one of the most prolific US baking authors; you will have to ignore the typical American storification of content

Definitely not for beginners, but close to the ultimate encyclopedia of bread baking:

• Myhrvold, Nathan & Francisco Migoyaa: Modernist Bread. 5 volumes. Bellevue, WA: The Cooking Lab. 2017 | Monumental opus for nerds; if you have a year, you will find almost everything there is to know about bread and baking

German books

For beginners

• Christina Bauer: Das große Brotbackbuch. Innsbruck: Löwenzahn Verlag. 3rd edition, 2022. | Extensive and well-designed book with recipes in different levels of difficulty and good explanations of techniques and materials; contains many Austrian recipes
• Lutz Geißler: Die besten Brotrezepte für jeden Tag. Hilden: Becker Joest Volk Verlag. 2019 | Great introductory book with easily understandable recipes, clear graphics and concise explanations of baking steps and techniques
• Valesa Schell: Der Brotbackkurs. Einfach starten – Profi werden. Stuttgart: Ulmer. 2019 | Very approachable, good explanations; from simple techniques to more complicated recipes; some instructions are somewhat incomplete, though, especially for beginners

Going beyond the basics

• Lutz Geißler: Brotbackbuch Nr. 1. Grundlagen und Rezepte für ursprüngliches Brot. Stuttgart: Ulmer. 2013. | Very detailed introductory section with technical and biochemical details; somewhat technical in style
• Lutz Geißler & Björn Hollensteiner: Brotbackbuch Nr. 2. Alltagsrezepte & Tipps für naturbelassenes Brot. Stuttgart: Ulmer. 2018. | Great recipe section with basic recipes and variations to customize; somewhat brief introductory part on basics and techniques
• Teubner: Brot. München: Teubner 2016. | Good introduction to material and craft basics; in cooperation with the German national baker team