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Kartoffelbrot, German Potato Bread


Potato breads are quite popular in Germany. Germans like it for its rough appearance, very similar to the taste we have in Spain or Italy for rustic bread. Sometimes they even add seeds or  onion for a more ancient flavor.

This recipe specifically is the one that is made in Franconia (which has nothing to do with France despite the name), a region within the Federal State of Bavaria.

INGREDIENTS :

    • 400 grams (0.9 lbs) of floury potatoes

    • 300 grams (10 oz) of wholemeal spelled flour*

    • 200 grams (7 oz) of refined spelled flour*

    • 150 ml (3/4 cup) of water

    • 10 grams (half a tbsp) of fresh yeast

    • 1 teaspoon of salt

* Spelled flour comes from a type of wheat that until relatively recently was hegemonic in much of Europe. It is a wheat very well adapted to cold and humid climates, which is why it is grown without problems in southern Germany. However, it has a lower yield per hectare, causing its replacement by more productive species. At present there is a return to some types of wheat that the agricultural industrialization of the 20th century left aside, such as spelled, kamut, etc. In some cases because they are more nutritious or because they have characteristics that make them suitable in some climates, in others because of simple fashion.

A mixture of whole and refined spelled is used so that the crumb is not too coarse.

First, we peel and boil the potatoes, after which we use the food mill to obtain the base paste.

Heat the water in the microwave until lukewarm. In it we dissolve the yeast. If you want, you can add a pinch of sugar to promote growth, although in principle it is not necessary.

We mix the two types of flour (wholemeal and refined spelled) with the mashed potatoes (warm if possible), the salt and the yeast that we have dissolved in the water. Mix and knead well until you get a homogeneous dough.

Let it rest in a dark place or with a cloth over it, warm and draft-free.

With half an hour the dough will have risen enough to go into the oven.

After the time we knead again for about 15 minutes after which we give a round shape and place on a baking tray.

Let stand again for 30 minutes.

We preheat the oven to 250 degrees (480 F)

We place the bread in the oven, central tray, with a container that contains water in the lower part and thus give a little moisture to the dough.

After 20 minutes we lower the temperature to 220 degrees (428 F) , baking the bread for around 40 minutes, until crust is golden and crunchy.

Ready to eat when it reaches room temperature. It's worth a try, it's excellent.