Root Bread – Three Varieties with One Pre-mix

Wurzelbrot (Root Bread) – three ways, one result

Wurzelbrot gets its character from its irregular, rustic shape and open crumb. If you simply twist the dough pieces and put them in the oven without further shaping, you get a bread that looks like it has always been that way.

Three variations can be made with the Wurzelbrot mix: the classic long fermentation overnight, a shorter version for a spontaneous baking day – and Wurzel-Kruste (Root Crust) as a round loaf from a proofing basket.

Classic Wurzelbrot

Dough fermentation 18–20 hours, for 250 g or 500 g loaves

  • 145 g Wurzelbrot mix
  • 575 g wheat flour Type 550
  • 2.5–3 g fresh yeast
  • 580 g water

Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water and add it to the mixer along with the wheat flour and the Wurzelbrot mix. Kneading time: approx. 15 minutes on speed 1 (slow), then 15–25 minutes on speed 2 (fast). The dough should come away from the sides of the bowl. Optimal dough temperature: 24 °C.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and let it rest in the refrigerator at 7–10 °C for 18–20 hours.

After the resting period, spread the dough on a floured work surface and divide it into elongated pieces. Without further shaping, twist the ends of the dough against each other and place the dough pieces with steam into the oven.

Initial temperature 240 °C, reduce to 200 °C after 5 minutes. Baking time: approx. 35 minutes for 250-gram loaves, approx. 45 minutes for 500-gram loaves.

Wurzelbrot for the Impatient

Dough fermentation 3–4 hours

Dough ingredients and kneading process exactly as for Classic Wurzelbrot. The only difference: the dough rests at room temperature for 3–4 hours. Then process and bake in the same way.

Wurzel-Kruste (Root Crust)

Dough preparation as Classic or for Impatient, dough weight 350 g

After the dough has rested, spread it on the work surface and divide it into square pieces of 350 g each. Fold the corners downwards and place the dough pieces in well-floured round proofing baskets.

Let rise for approx. 30 minutes at room temperature. Initial temperature 240 °C, falling to 200 °C. Baking time: approx. 40 minutes.