Whole Grain German-Style Bread

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm water
• 3 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast ((just over 1 1/2 (.25-ounce) packages))
• 5 1/4 cups whole wheat or whole spelt flour (or a combination of the two)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons white or apple sider vinegar
• 1 cup seeds ((I use 1/3 cup each of sunflower, pumpkin, and flax seeds))

Instructions

1. 1

   In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in about 1/2 cup of the warm water (no need to be exact, you will be adding the rest of the water shortly).

2. 2

   Let that rest for 5 to 10 minutes while you grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. The yeast should foam quite a bit with tiny bubble. If it only bubbles a little, your yeast might not be active anymore. It's best to start again with new yeast.

3. 3

   Sift the flour and salt into the bowl. Add the water-yeast mixture, vinegar, and seeds. Mix until a relatively smooth dough is formed. Mine was still a touch sticky, but still able to be handled and formed without completely sticking to my fingers.

4. 4

   Form the dough into a loaf shape that will fit end to end in your pan. I just sort of shape it, and then roll it a few times on the counter to make it look a little nicer and be the right length.

5. 5

   Lightly cover the loaf with saran wrap or a tea towel, and let it rise in a relatively warm, draft-free place, for about an hour to an hour and a half. It should double in size and fill out the pan nicely.

6. 6

   Preheat your oven to 480ºF (250ºC). Bake the loaf for 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 390ºF (200ºC), and bake it for another 45 minutes.

7. 7

   Remove the loaf from the pan (it should pop right out), and knock on the bottom. If it genuinely sounds hollow, then it is done. If you think it needs a little more time, pop it back in the oven and bake it for longer as needed. My loaf was done after the initial hour, but you may need another 10-20 minutes, depending on moisture and such.