Bread
Mixed wheat bread, “no knead” variant
Simple recipe without complex dough processing

The special thing about “no knead” breads is that most of the dough processing steps (kneading, multi-stage proofing, molding) are eliminated and the dough is simply left to its own.
This recipe is inspired by my Elegant Speech Compadre Dirk Hovy.
Schedule
- Dough: 5 minutes preparation, 8-12h fermentation
- Baking time: ca. 45-55 minutes (30-35 with lid + 15-20 without)
Basic ingredients
- 500g wholegrain wheat flour
- 250g wholegrain rye flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon raw cane sugar
- 4g dry yeast (alternatively: 12g fresh yeast)
- 600ml lukewarm water
Optional ingredients to complement the recipe
Note: The additives should only be added individually after successful first baking attempts in order to get a feel for the consistency and processing of the dough
- 6g spices: coriander, anise, caraway, fennel in equal proportions (classic bread spice mix); best fresh from the mortar
- 1 pack (15g) sourdough extract (flavor + additional raising agent)
- 2-3 splashes of olive oil (longer shelf life)
- 2 teaspoons of malt syrup (improves color and taste)
- 100g natural yoghurt (longer shelf life)
- 150-200g fried onions (extremely tasty; the bread is baked and fried at the same time)
Prepare the dough
- Mix all ingredients except the water in a large, sealable bowl
- Add water and stir by hand until there is no flour left on the bottom of the bowl
- Let the dough rise in the closed bowl for 8 to 12 hours at room temperature (instead of a lid, you can use a damp kitchen towel to cover it)
Baking
- Place a large pot (at least 24 cm in diameter; ideal: Dutch oven) in the oven and preheat it to 250 °C (recirculation mode) for about 1 hour
- Caution: the following two steps have to be carried out relatively quickly because the dough is very active
- Flour the dough: spread a little flour on the surface, use a little more flour along the edge of the bowl; then fold in the flour all around with the bottom edge of your palm so that the dough comes off the base
- Carefully spin the dough around in the bowl so that it loosens completely from the bottom of the bowl, and turn it into the hot pot
- Lower the temperature to 210 °C and bake the bread for 30-35 minutes with the lid closed
- Remove the lid and bake for another 15-20 minutes
- Turn the finished bread onto a wire rack and let it cool down for at least 2 hours
Tips & tricks
- If finer flours are used instead of wholemeal flour, the amount of water should be reduced by 10%
- For the first few attempts, it is advisable to use the longest specified baking time to prevent the bread from being completely baked
Make sourdough (starter)
Cultivate a rye starterMaintain sourdough
Cultivate a rye starter
Sourdough forms the basis for doughs with long fermentation times, especially for those in which a lot of rye flour is processed. The sourdough improves the baking properties of rye-heavy bread, ensures a typical nutty-sour taste and increases the shelf life of the bread.
What you need
- 1 large, lockable container (at least 2.5l capacity)
- 500-600g wholemeal rye flour
- 500-600g water (40–45 °C)
- 5-7 days
Procedure
- The ideal temperature for the fermentation process is achieved in the oven (switched off, light on) with the door slightly open (temperature 26-28 °C)
- Day 1: mix 100g water and 100g flour and let ferment for 12 hours
- After 12 hours stir the mixture with a spoon
- Day 2: after 24 hours, add 100g water and 100g flour to the mixture, stir
- After 12 hours stir the mixture with a spoon
- Days 3 to 6: repeat steps from day 2
- When the mass has already increased its volume significantly after 12 hours, is visibly streaked with bubbles and smells slightly sour, the starter is ready
- Remove 100g from the finished mass and place in the refrigerator, sealed; freshen up after 7 days (see “Maintaining a starter”)
- The rest of the mixture can be used as preferment to make a bread (see the basic recipe for the rye-wheat bread)
Tips & tricks
- In the course of the cultivation process, the fermentation can cause the sourdough to smell quite unpleasant in some cases or it can exude fusel alcohol; however, after 5 days at the latest, a slightly sour smell should prevail
- Make sure that no foreign bacteria impair the ripening process (rinse the bowl thoroughly with boiling water beforehand; close the lid tightly); if there is a putrid smell or a brownish-greenish discoloration of the mass becomes visible, the dough has been contaminated and must be disposed of
- The cultivation can also be done with half of the ingredients, i.e. 50g water/flour per day; then an additional day should be planned for fermentation
Last updated: 12.10.2021