Oma's German Sourdough No Knead Bread Recipe 

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Oma's German Sourdough No Knead Bread Recipe

This German sourdough, whole grain, no knead bread recipe, aka Sauerteigbrot, is so delicious and so healthy. Add flax seeds, flax meal, oats, sunflower seeds, psyllium, bran, or almost anything you can think of.

It's important for you to read ALL the notes before you make this recipe! It's a dough like no other.

Servings:

Makes 2 loaves

Sourdough Starter:

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp yeast
  
• 1 cup lukewarm 'potato water' (from boiling potatoes - no salt added!)
• 1 cups whole wheat flour

Instructions:

1. Dissolve the 2 tbsp yeast in the lukewarm potato water.
2. Add 1 cup whole wheat flour and stir.
3. Let stand, covered lightly, at least 6 hours or overnight at room temperature. It should now have risen and be bubbly. If not, see hints below.

Bread:

Ingredients:

• sourdough starter (from above)
• 1 cup whole wheat berries or cracked wheat, pre-soaked, (optional)
• 4 - 5 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 or 3 cups lukewarm water
• 1½ tsp salt
• ¼ to ½ cup molasses
• Additions: about 1 cup of each (to a total of about 6 cups) (see hints below) flax seeds, flax meal, rolled oats, sunflower seeds, bran, wheat germ, etc.

Instructions:

1. Put the sourdough starter into a LARGE bowl. Add 2 cups lukewarm water and 2 cups whole wheat flour. Let stand, covered at room temperature, about 2 - 4 hours.
2. If using whole wheat berries, put them into 2-cup measuring cup. Add hot water just to cover and let stand till needed.
3. After the 2 - 4 hour, remove 1 cup dough to use as your sourdough starter for next time. Cover and refrigerate. If keeping for longer than 1 week, add a bit of flour weekly to keep it healthy and alive.
4. To the dough, add the wheat berries, if using, with their soaking water. Add an additional 2 cups lukewarm water. If no wheat berries are used, add 3 cups lukewarm water.
5. Add salt and molasses. Stir. Add the "additions", stirring well.
6. Stir in 2 cups whole wheat flour, adding more flour if needed until it's the right consistency. The dough will look like wet cement and it will be difficult to stir in any more flour (See hints below).
7. Spoon into 2 greased bread pans. Pans can be filled at least ¾ full. Cover and let rise about 1 to 1½ hours in a draft-free, warm place.
8. Bake in a preheated 375°F. oven for about 1 hour.
9. Immediately remove the bread from the pans. The bread should sound 'hollow' when the bottom is tapped. If not, then bake a bit longer. Let cool on rack before slicing.

Notes/Hints:

Your subsequent loaves will taste more 'sourdough-y' the older your sourdough starter is. But even the first time, it will be delicious.

• If your original sourdough starter isn't bubbly after the 6 hours, repeat, making sure your yeast is fresh and that you didn't use salt when cooking your potatoes.
• What else have I added? Pumpkin seeds, psyllium husks, hemp seeds, spelt flakes, -- almost anything I can find that is healthy. 
  
• What's the dough like? It's sort of like a thick, wet cement. It's granular from all the seeds and grains, but holding together somewhat. It's something you'll learn by trial and error. If one overdoes the dry ingredients, the bread still turns out, just not as moist as usual. Everyone I've given the recipe to over the years quickly figures out the 'right feel'.
• You can use the whey left over from making quark instead of the water when making your bread.

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