Nordic-Style Sprouted Buckwheat-Spelt Loaf
Does rugbrod, or Danish rye bread, rings the bell for you? You might have tasted it in an open-faced Danish sandwich, served with herring, cured salmon, ground liver or smoked cheese. The bread is dense and dark and substantial -- something a piece of our usual smooth white or whole-wheat bread can't hold up against the richly-flavored goodies on top.
If you prefer low-gluten bread packed with a healthful dose of grains and seeds, you'd appreciate this bread. Rugged, tangy, and nutty. All the grains are sprouted for easy digesting. I used buckwheat groats. Rye, barley, einhorn or any whole and intact berries will work fine in this recipe. Buckwheat berries happen to be easier for me to get in my area. Besides, sprouted buckwheat has many health benefits I'm interested in.
I’ve been experimenting with these Nordic-style pan loaves lately. They are so different from the crusty holey hearth breads that seem to have dominated what I’ve been baking for years. To better understand the key differences, I put up a sourdough seeded bread (recipe from Jeffrey Hamelman's Bread) to compare with the rugbrod-like sprouted buckwheat spelt loaf I adapted from Chad Robertson's Tartine Book No. 3.
https://flourishen.blogspot.com/2017/01/sprouted-buckwheat-spelt-loaf-tartine.html
https://flourishen.blogspot.com/2015/03/sourdough-seeded-bread.html
These loaves have a huge percentage of whole-sprouted berries and seeds, and a comparatively small percentage of flour. The combination makes for the dense structure. The hydration level is an upward of 100% and the dough has the feel of wet concrete. I did not bother to shape it; it defied shaping. Just pour the wet dough and proof it in loaf pans and bake. For once, no worry about getting the sticky dough out of the basket and into the oven. The loaves have to be baked at a lower temperature of 425°F for an hour and 15 to 25 minutes to ensure they are baked thoroughly.
In thermally active areas in Iceland, each family in the neighboring village has it's own hole in the ground at an open communal site. These holes, which work like steam ovens, have to be the most energy efficient way to bake this kind of traditional Nordic bread. That's what I've read in books and newspaper. I'd like to see how that's done first-hand someday!
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Comments
It tastes great with pate too. Well done!
This style of bread is growing on me.
My mouth is watering! Are you from Iceland? I found the Iceland the volcanic bread so interesting! I wish I could replicate it in my mother's province near a volcano in the hot springs where the temperatures exceed 100°C!
Sorry to disappoint you; I am not from Iceland. Far from it, I live near the concrete jungle of New York city. As I wrote on my blog (https://flourishen.blogspot.com/2017/01/sprouted-buckwheat-spelt-loaf-tartine.html), the inspiration came from eating a similar piece of bread at Bouley, pictured in the post. I'd love to try baking something like this in the steam holes in Iceland. Someday!
that is an incredible looking loaf of bread. Must be a delicious, stick your ribs type of bread.
Well done :)
This bread is so dense; I love cutting into thin slices to make crispy crackers.
I love rugbrod and share your interest in similar styles of bread. The comparison you show is interesting, but I am not that familiar with the categories you list. In the formulas I have seen, I also notice that rye seems to be more prominent (both in the form of flour and whole rye berries).
Perhaps you could discuss further the origins and rationale for your comparison
Interesting enough, I'm currently sprouting some rye berries to make a similar bread using the same formula. Stay tuned. For sure, rye is more frequently used. The rationale for the comparison is more for my curiosity as to what I need to do differently than baking a conventional hearth bread.
for a special kind of hearty,healthy bread that tastes great! Well done and happy baking
Adding grains and seeds seem to be the healthy way to do it.
Beautiful bake. Love that crumb shot!