Damon Mcknight
Black bread, or 'Schwarzbrot', is a cornerstone of Austrian cuisine, served at nearly every meal. It is typically made with a high proportion of rye flour, wheat flour, sourdough, yeast, and traditional bread spices. One popular variety is 'Hausbrot', which means 'house bread'. This bread is often proofed in a basket called a 'Simperl' or 'Gärkörbchen', which gives the loaf a beautiful swirl. To make this bread, you will need a combination of flours, including rye, plain, and wheat, as well as sourdough, salt, yeast, fennel seeds, and Austrian bread spices. The dough is then shaped into a ball and left to rise before being baked. After baking, it is important to let the bread rest until the next day before cutting and eating it.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Sourdough, rye flour, wheat flour, yeast, salt, fennel seeds, Austrian bread spices, plain flour |
| Dough preparation | Knead for 10 minutes, shape into a ball, and keep at room temperature until doubled in size |
| Proving basket | Lightly dust with flour, or use a bowl lined with a kitchen towel and flour |
| Baking instructions | Preheat oven to 250°C, score the dough, bake for 10 minutes, then for 50 minutes at 200°C |
| Cooling | Cool on a wire rack |
| Resting period | Rest for about 2 hours before baking, and wait until the next day to cut and eat |
| Texture | Dense, moist, and spongy |
| Colour | Dark, caramel hue, or rich chocolate colour |
| Flavour | Authentic flavour from Brotgewürz (bread spice mix) |
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What You'll Learn
Ingredients
The main common denominator in Austrian black bread, or Schwarzbrot, is a high proportion of rye in the dough. One recipe for Austrian Hausbrot, a popular rye-wheat combination bread, includes 500g of sourdough, plain flour, rye flour, salt, yeast, fennel seeds, and Austrian bread spices. The dough will be quite sticky due to the high rye flour content. Shape it into a ball and place it into a bowl, covered, at room temperature until it has doubled in size.
Another recipe for German Seeded Rye Bread, a wholesome and hearty loaf, calls for rye flour, sourdough, yeast, salt, toasted sunflower seeds, and Austrian bread spices. You can experiment with different types of seeds and spices to create your own unique blend.
If you're looking for a more traditional Austrian bread, try Kornspitz, a mixture of whole wheat and rye coated with seeds. This versatile bread can be covered with poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, oats, cheese, or any other toppings you desire.
For a truly authentic Austrian experience, bake your bread fresh daily. You can also try adding different ingredients like wheat flour, spelt, or other types of flour to create your own unique variation of Austrian black bread.
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Mixing and kneading
To make Austrian black bread, you will need to combine 500g of sourdough, plain flour, rye flour, salt, yeast, fennel seeds, and Austrian bread spices to make a soft dough. The dough will be sticky due to the high rye flour content, but it should still be manageable. You can also add wheat flour, spelt, or other types of flour to the mix.
Once you have your ingredients combined, it's time to start kneading. Kneading the dough helps to develop the gluten that gives the bread its structure and texture. It's important to knead the dough thoroughly for around 10 minutes. After kneading, shape the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl. Cover the bowl and keep it at room temperature until the dough has doubled in size. This usually takes about 1 to 2 hours, depending on the temperature of your room.
While the dough is resting, you can prepare your proving basket or bowl. A proving basket, also known as a Simperl or Gärkörbchen, is traditionally used for Austrian black bread. It gives the loaf a beautiful swirl pattern. If you don't have a proving basket, you can use a bowl lined with a kitchen towel and lightly dusted with flour. This step is important because it helps the dough keep its shape and prevents it from flattening when it expands during the final rise.
Once the dough has doubled in size, give it another quick knead to punch out any air bubbles and form it into a loaf shape. Place the loaf into your prepared proving basket or bowl and let it rest for the final prove. This final prove will take about 2 hours, but the time may vary depending on your room temperature.
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Proving
Prepare the Dough
First, prepare your dough by combining the ingredients: sourdough, preferment, plain flour, rye flour, salt, yeast, fennel seeds, and Austrian bread spices. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it forms a soft, tacky, and cohesive dough. The dough will be sticky due to the high rye flour content, but it should still be manageable. Shape it into a ball.
First Rise
Place the dough ball in a bowl and cover it with oiled cling film or a damp towel to prevent the surface from drying out and forming a skin. Let the dough rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size. This typically takes 1 to 2 hours, depending on the temperature and humidity of your environment. A warm, humid environment is ideal for the dough to rise.
Knocking Back the Dough
Once the dough has doubled in size, it's time to "knock back" or "punch down" the dough. Gently press down on the dough with a closed fist or the heel of your hand to remove the air and redistribute the yeast. This step helps to create a smoother texture and an even rise in the final product.
Second Rise
After knocking back the dough, give it a quick knead and shape it into a loaf. Prepare your proving basket or banneton by lightly dusting it with flour. Place the dough into the proving basket, cover it, and let it rise for another 2 hours or until it has doubled in size again. This final prove gives the bread its uniform shape. The duration may vary depending on your room temperature.
Baking
Preheat your oven to 250°C about 20 minutes before baking. Turn the dough out of the proving basket onto a hot baking tray lined with baking parchment. Score the dough with a bread scoring knife. Place the dough in the preheated oven and follow the baking instructions for your specific Austrian black bread recipe.
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Baking
To make Austrian Hausbrot, a traditional Austrian black bread, you will need the following ingredients:
- Sourdough
- Plain flour
- Rye flour
- Wheat flour
- Salt
- Yeast
- Fennel seeds
- Austrian bread spices
First, combine 500g of sourdough with the other ingredients to make a soft dough. Knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes. Due to the high rye flour content, the dough will be quite sticky, but it should still be manageable. Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a bowl, and cover it. Leave the dough at room temperature until it has doubled in size, which should take approximately 1 to 2 hours.
Next, prepare a proving basket by lightly dusting it with flour. If you don't have a proving basket, you can use a bowl lined with a kitchen towel and flour. This will help the dough keep its shape and prevent it from flattening as it expands. Give the dough another quick knead and form it into a loaf. Place the loaf in the prepared proving basket and leave it to rest for another 2 hours for the final prove. The time may vary depending on your room temperature.
Twenty minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 250°C. If you have a La Cloche baking dome, preheat it in the oven at the same time. If not, preheat a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Turn the dough out of the proving basket onto the hot baking dome or tray, score the dough with a bread knife, and cover it with the dome if using.
Place the bread in the oven and bake for 10 minutes at 250°C, then turn down the temperature to 200°C and bake for another 50 minutes. Finally, cool the bread on a wire rack. It is recommended to wait until the next day before cutting and eating the bread.
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Cooling and storing
Once your Austrian black bread is baked, it's important to let it cool properly. Turn the loaf out onto a wire rack and allow it to cool completely before slicing into it. This process can take a few hours, so be patient!
While you can eat the bread on the same day it's baked, some people recommend waiting until the next day to cut and eat it, as this allows the flavours to develop further.
In terms of storage, it's best to keep the bread in a paper bag or wrap it in a cloth. Plastic bags are not ideal as they can cause condensation and make the bread soggy. If stored correctly, the bread should stay fresh for a few days.
If you want to keep the bread for longer, you can freeze it. It's best to slice the loaf before freezing so you can take out individual slices as needed. That way, you can enjoy your homemade Austrian black bread for weeks or even months!
Lastly, remember that the type of flour and ingredients used, as well as the baking technique, will influence the shelf life of your bread. For example, a denser loaf with a higher rye content may last longer than a lighter, wheat-based bread.
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Frequently asked questions
Austrian black bread, or Schwarzbrot, is a cornerstone of the Austrian diet. It is a rich, dark bread served at nearly every meal. It is baked fresh daily and typically contains wheat and rye flour.
The ingredients for Austrian black bread include a combination of flours, including rye and wheat, sourdough, yeast, and traditional bread spices.
Austrian bread spices, or Brotgewürz, typically include caraway seeds, anise, fennel, and coriander seeds. You can also experiment with small quantities of allspice, fenugreek, sweet trefoil, celery seeds, and cardamom.
First, combine the sourdough, preferment, plain flour, rye flour, salt, yeast, fennel seeds, and Austrian bread spices to make a soft dough. Knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes, shape it into a ball, and let it rest at room temperature until it doubles in size. Prepare a proving basket by dusting it with flour, then give the dough another quick knead and form it into a loaf. Let the dough rest for another 2 hours for its final prove. Preheat the oven to 250°C, turn out the loaf onto a hot baking dome or tray, and score the dough. Bake for 10 minutes at 250°C, then for another 50 minutes at 200°C. Finally, cool the bread on a wire rack and wait until the next day to cut and eat it.
Some popular varieties of Austrian black bread include Hausbrot, Kornspitz, and St. Peters Black Bread. Hausbrot is a traditional Austrian bread that uses a combination of flours, including rye, wheat, spelt, or other flours. Kornspitz is a hearty bread made from whole wheat and rye, coated with various seeds. St. Peters Black Bread is a dense, dark sourdough that has been baked daily in the same cellar bakery since the 12th century.
