Buttermilk Bread

This is an authentic German bread recipe found on chefkoch.de. My husband, being German, finds North American bread recipes to "sweet" for sandwiches. This bread is very good and quite healthy. You can use either white flour, whole wheat, ry or whole grain. I prefer using whole grain. If you substitute rye flour you may have to use more yeast and the rising time for the bread will also be longer. Preparation time does not include the length of time for the bread to raise. This a simple recipe and good for beginners.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Yields: 1 loaf, 900 - 1000 grams

Ingredients

• 500  g flour
• 500  ml buttermilk
• 1 (40 g)  fresh yeast cakes
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 50  g sunflower seeds
• 50  g  pumpkin seeds
• 50  g flax seeds
• 50  g sesame seeds

Directions

1. Warm the buttermilk, add the yeast and let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Mix together the flour and salt.
3. Add the buttermilk/yeast mixture and the "seeds". Mix well. The dough should be elastic, but not sticky. If necessary add more flour or milk until it reaches the correct consistency.
4. Knead dough 10 minutes. Cover with a cloth and leave it to rise until it doubles in a warm place.
5. Form a round loaf from the dough. Place on a greased sheet, cover and let it rise another 30 minutes.
6. During this time, preheat the oven to 250°C and place an ovenproof dish with boiling water on the bottom of the oven.
7. Once the oven has reached the correct temperature, place the bread on the middle rack and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 200°C and bake for approximately 45 minutes.
8. Remove bread from oven and brush with cold water to create a shiny crust.