A thoroughly authentic German Bread Recipe (Vollkornbrot)!  This delicious traditional German whole grain seed bread is nutrient dense with a fabulous texture and positively packed with flavor. This makes a large loaf that freezes well so you can conveniently grab some whenever you’re in the mood.
Authentic German Bread (Vollkornbrot)
Few things are better than a freshly baked loaf of bread slathered down with butter and some good jam.  That’s true for crusty breads with fluffy interiors and the more hearty, dense breads that I also know and love from Europe. Here is a German bread that is beloved throughout Germany and is also widely enjoyed in Austria and Switzerland.  It features a grain called Einkorn that is used throughout much of western Europe, but feel free to substitute other grains according to your preference.
Dense, chewy, packed with nutrition and full of flavor, this whole grain German brown bread (Vollkornbrot) is wonderful with your choice of butter, jam, Nutella, cheese, or cold cuts.
Have you heard of the grain einkorn before? Â Modern day wheat over the centuries has undergone a series of genetic changes for the purpose of increasing yield and gluten content. Â It almost unidentifiable to its ancestor (and my guess is that is why gluten issues are a more recent occurrence). Â Einkorn is the most ancient form of wheat on earth and hasn’t undergone these genetic changes. Â It is the purest form of wheat we have. Â You can purchase einkorn online HERE.
The advantages of einkorn: Â Most agree it tastes better than wheat and is much easier to digest, even easier than spelt. Â Compared to the gluten in modern day wheat, it contains a structurally different composition of gluten that the body is able to digest more easily. Â In fact, many people with gluten free issues who have switched to einkorn have found that they’re able to tolerate and digest it with ease.
Even visually there’s a difference between wheat and einkorn. Â Wheat (left) is nearly double the length of einkorn (right). Einkorn also has a deeper caramel color.
It’s unfortunate that as wonderful as Einkorn is, and common as Einkorn is in many places throughout western Europe, it’s almost unheard of here and very few places sell it. And for that reason it’s also much more expensive here in the U.S.. Hopefully that will change as it becomes more common.  The same was true of spelt for a long time and though it’s still far less common than wheat here in the U.S. its price-point has gone down.
I buy all of my grains, including einkorn, in bulk. Â I take out what I need for a few weeks at a time and store the rest in a dark, cool place. Â It saves money that way and I have easy access to everything I need. Â And I LOVE being able to grind my own grains fresh as needed and make up my own fresh baking mixes!
My German-made KoMo grain mill is the pride and joy of my kitchen.  German engineering at it’s best, the KoMo grain mill is simply awesome.  You can grind your grains as fine or as coarsely as you like.
With a 12-year warranty this thing is a work-horse and does a magnificent job. Â I use it nearly every day grinding my own flours, making cornmeal and a variety of mixes. Â I cannot recommend it highly enough.
This traditional German bread uses a combination of whole einkorn berries and ground einkorn flour. Â Whether you’re grinding your own grains or buying the flour already ground, you’re absolutely going to love the texture and flavor of this wonderfully hearty, rustic and thoroughly authentic German bread!
German Bread Recipe (Vollkornbrot)
Let’s get started!
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the lukewarm water and let sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy.
Place all of the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Â (You can do this by hand if you prefer.)
NOTE: I personally don’t pre-soak the whole or cracked grain berries and let my batter ferment for a full 24 hours which softens the berries. Depending on the age of the grains you’re using they may require a pre-soaking in order to be adequately soft. If you wish you can pre-soak the grains overnight (pour hot water over them and let them sit) and then thoroughly drain for an hour or so.
Add the yeast mixture along with the buttermilk and beer.  Knead on the bread setting (#2) for 10 minutes.
Scoop the mixture into a non-reactive bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for at least 8 hours, preferably longer, up to 24 hours (the longer the better for the whole grain berries to soften and for heightened sourdough properties. If you’re letting it sit for less than 24 hours, presoak the grains overnight in advance and drain thoroughly).  Also, the longer it ferments the more liquid will be absorbed so less chances of a moist center after baking.
The mixture will be thick and gooey but will not resemble typical bread dough.
Scoop the mixture into a generously buttered Pullman Loaf Pan and smooth the top so it’s even.
Baking this bread in a Pullman loaf pan yields those nice small, square slices of bread. Â But it also helps ensure that the center of the bread is fully cooked. Â Plus, when I’m making other breads that rise a lot, the Pullman has a top on it that slides shut to keep the bread compact (this Einkornbrot doesn’t rise a lot during baking so I don’t bother putting the lid on for it). Â It’s also the loaf pan that is used to make the famous French pain de mie bread. Â I like to use it for a lot of my heartier European style breads.
Sprinkle the top with rolled oats.
In an oven preheated to 350 degrees F, bake it on the middle rack for 100-120 minutes or until the center is done.
For best and most accurate results, use an instant read thermometer and aim for an internal temperature of 205-210 degrees F.
Let is sit in the pan for 5 minutes before removing it, then let it cool completely on a wire rack.
Once cooled you can slice the entire loaf in advance or slice as needed.
We have a decades-old Hobart commercial slicer that we picked up on Craigslist years ago. Â I used to be the manager of a delicatessen in England and Hobart is the gold standard in food slicers. Â In fact, the very same model that we have is on display at the Smithsonian!
I realize we got lucky and most of you aren’t going to find a good-priced Hobart on Craigslist, but there are other good slicers on the market that are vastly cheaper and do the job. Â Chef’s Choice Slicers are consistently ranked at the top. Â I haven’t personally tried one, but they get excellent reviews. Â Having a good slicer to get clean, thin slices of bread that look like something you bought at a professional bakery is really nice. Â Plus, whenever I find chunks of cooked ham, turkey or cheese on sale I get those and slice them myself – it’s much cheaper than buying them at the deli.
At the very least you’ll need an excellent bread knife and for that my favorite knife, hands down, is the Cutco 9 3/4″ Slicer. Â It glides smoothly through bread and meat like no other.
Enjoy!
For more delicious bread from around the world be sure to try our:
German Bread (Authentic Vollkornbrot)
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cups einkorn flour (you can also use whole wheat, spelt, rye or combination)
- 1/2 cup whole einkorn berries , or wheat, spelt or rye berries (***See NOTE about soaking)
- 1 3/4 cups cracked einkorn berries , or wheat, spelt, rye (**See NOTE about cracking the grains **See NOTE about soaking)
- 1 cup whole flax seeds
- 1 1/2 cups sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons dry active yeast
- 2 tablespoons sugar , optional but recommended
- 2 cups lukewarm water
- 2 cups buttermilk , at room temperature
- 1 cup mild beer (optional, for a maltier flavor) , at room temperature (can substitute water or buttermilk instead)
- Rolled oats for sprinkling
Instructions
- Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the lukewarm water and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy.
- Combine all of the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. (You can do this by hand if you prefer.) Then add the yeast mixture along with the buttermilk and beer. Attach the dough hook and knead on the bread setting (#2) for 10 minutes. Scoop the batter into a large non-reactive bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let it sit at room temperature for at least 8 hours, preferably longer, up to 24 hours (the longer the better for the whole grain berries to soften and for heightened sourdough properties. Also the longer it ferments the more liquid will be absorbed so less chances of a moist center after baking.)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Scoop the batter (it will be thick and gooey but not like regular bread dough) into a generously buttered 13x4x4 Pullman loaf pan and smooth the top to even it out. Sprinkle with oats. (Note: Baking this bread in a Pullman loaf pan yields those nice small, square slices of bread. But it also helps ensure that the center of the bread is fully cooked.) I always bake this without the lid on.
- Bake on the middle rack for 100-120 minutes or until the center is done. For best and most accurate results use an instant read thermometer and aim for 210 degrees F. Let the bread sit in the pan for 5 minutes before removing it, then let it cool completely on a wire rack before slicing it. To get clean, professional slices I highly recommend using a bread slicer.
Notes
- How to "crack" the whole berries: I use my grain mill to crack them by putting it on the coarsest setting. Another option is if you have a Vitamix and use the dry container - pulse the whole berries a few times until you get coarse pieces of einkorn. A powerful food processor will likewise do the job. Alternatively you can also place the whole berries in a ziplock bag and use a heavy object to pound them to break them up.Â
- Soaking the Grains: I personally don't pre-soak the whole or cracked grain berries and just let my batter ferment for a full 24 hours which softens the berries, and I've always had great results. However, depending on the age of the grains you're using (even if you just bought them they may have sat in the store or warehouse for a long time) they may require a pre-soaking in order to be adequately soft. If you wish you can pre-soak the grains overnight (pour hot water over them and let them sit) and then thoroughly draining.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet December 11, 2019
Antonio says
Thank you for your reply! I let the dough rest for about 11 hours, maybe room temperature in Arizona would made the resting time shorter? Anyways, I’ll keep playing around with the recipes. Thanks again for the recommendations, this website is already in my favorites :). Machs Gut, Tschüss!
Antonio says
That is so far the best and better described recipe for one of my favorite breads!! Thank you a lot for sharing.
I have tested it, but since I did not have the berries or the cracked berries I ended up compensating by using more flour, so that in the end I had a ratio of 1.3 of flour to liquids. The end result was amazing, but there is a slight bitterness, which I am not sure why. Do you have any suggestion on how to adjust the recipe when not having the whole/cracked berries?
Thank you a lot!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Antonio, I’m so pleased you were happy with the results! I haven’t made this without the whole and cracked berries so I can’t offer any recommendations for substitutes but it sounds like you already did so with great success. There’s nothing in the ingredients that would impart a bitter flavor so the only thing I can think of is the sourdough flavor – the longer you let the dough sit/ferment, the more of that sourdough flavor you’ll get. If the flavor bothers you can try and remove some of the edge by either adding a little honey to the dough or just not letting the dough ferment for as long.
Lisa says
Your recipe calls for “cracked einkorn berries”. I ordered the flour and the whole berries, but I did not see cracked berries that you can purchase. So how do you crack them? I tried putting them in my food processor, but it doesn’t seem to be working.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Lisa! I’ve used both my grain mill and my Vitamix to coarsely crack grains. I would think a good food processor would work, too. If not do you have a powerful blender you can try?
Lisa says
I went ahead and kept on processing them in my food processor until some of them cracked, but it didn’t seem to work all that well. However, I made the bread with them and it turned out great! I actually love the texture that it has. Thanks for responding!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s terrific, Lisa, I’m so glad you enjoyed it and appreciate the feedback – thank you!
CJ says
I was wondering the same. I have the same mill, as well as a Vitamix. I mixed up this dough today (color me excited to bake it tomorrow!) and chose my Komo to “crack” the grains. Even on the coarsest setting, it was more like flour, so I think I’ll try the Vitamix next time.
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! I lived in Germany in my 20’s and I have been looking for the bread I fell in love with all those years ago, this looks just like it!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi CJ, did you turn your KoMo all the way to the right as far as it can go? It should spit out very coarse chunks. Yes, there will be some finer meal as well but it should mostly be coarse pieces. Happy baking tomorrow and please let us know what you think!
Eileen says
Kimberly, Do you recommend buttering the pan before adding the batter? Thanks
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Eileen, thanks for catching that. Yes, give it a generous buttering before adding the batter.
Anonymous says
Hi Kimberly, Thank you! We baked this bread yesterday,it’s yummy! We purchased a Pullman pan and glad we did, the narrow size of the loaf pan is perfect. Thank you for sharing your great recipe. Best, Eileen
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful! I’m so glad you’re enjoying it, Eileen, and appreciate the feedback. I agree, I love the Pullman pan, too – the small squares are the perfect size.
Sigrid O'Hara says
Looks beautiful. I grew up in Germany but left when I was 18. I never cook German food but I still love Vollkornbrot and get it at my local Lidl or Aldi where I live in Spain. You might want to find out about Quark if you haven’t already. I use it instead of butter and spread any jam over it.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Sigrid. Yes, I am very familiar with Quark and since moving to the U.S. eleven years ago have never been able to find it so I have to make my own. By the way, we just got back two weeks ago from a vacation to Spain – can’t wait to go back!
Sigrid says
Hi Kimberley, what’s the Stuttgart/Peterborough connection? I lived in California for 20 years with my deceased husband. Where did you to in Spain? We’re having a heat wave already. It reached 40 degrees C today and at 8 o#clock in the morning it was 30. I live east of Malaga.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Sigrid, I’m from Stuttgart and also lived in England for 7 years near Peterborough. Then moved to the U.S. eleven years ago. When we were in Spain we rented a car and covered 3000 miles, over 4800 kilometers :) We saw many, many places and cities throughout north, east, south, west and central Spain. We also visited Lisbon, Portugal. I’ll be publishing a series of travel posts covering the places we visited. We love Spain and had a wonderful time there.
Adina says
Perfect looking Vollkornbrot. And super info about Einkorn, I have heard about it but never bought it myself, it is not quite so easily available here either, at least I have never seen it… I have to check by Tegut, they sometimes have more ausgefallene Sachen.
Nikki @ Nik Snacks says
Oh wowwww! This bread looks super fantastic!
Jen says
This is a gorgeous bread! Love that you used whole grains for added crunch! :D
Joanie @ ZagLeft says
What a gorgeous loaf of bread. How wonderful that you grind your grains, that’s something I would love to do. Thank you for sharing this recipe, it looks and sounds so good!
Ashlyn @ Belle of the Kitchen says
This bread is so beautiful! I love thick, grainy bread so this is right up my alley!
Angie@cuisinestudy says
That looks a wonderfully tasty loaf. Wonderful baking!I’ll have to try that one.
Cathy | Lemon Tree Dwelling says
This bread looks really delicious….I love ALL THOSE GRAINS!
Michelle says
I love homemade bread! I’ve never had this before, but it sure looks amazing!
Meg @ With Salt and Wit says
I love the way all the grains look when they are together in the bowl! And when it’s complete it is perfect!
Cathy | Lemon Tree Dwelling says
I absolutely love this type of hearty bread….this is perfection!