German Coffee Bread Recipes

AUTHENTIC GERMAN BREAD (BAUERNBROT)

Steps:

• First, make the sourdough starter. Crumble the yeast into a large bowl. Whisk in 1 quart of warm water and 2 tablespoons of sugar until dissolved. The water should be just slightly warmer than body temperature. Gradually whisk in 4 cups of flour, continuing to mix until all lumps are gone. Cover with a dish towel, and let sit for 24 hours at room temperature.
• After 24 hours, stir well, cover, and let stand another 24 hours. It will be a thin, light-colored sourdough which is then ready to use.
• In a large bowl, stir together the rye flour, remaining 4 cups of all-purpose flour, salt and sugar. Mix in the sourdough starter using a wooden spoon, then stir in 2 cups of warm water. I transfer the dough to a heavy-duty stand mixer to mix the first couple of minutes, then it can't handle the heavy dough and I start using my hands by turning the dough out onto a floured surface. A clean countertop works best. Knead the dough, adding a few tablespoons of water at a time if it is too stiff. Fold the dough over, pull it apart, whatever you can do to get it kneaded up good. Total kneading time should be 15 to 20 minutes to get a smooth dough. Place the dough in a large bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, 1 to 2 hours.
• When the dough has risen, scrape it out of the bowl and back onto a floured surface. Knead for about 5 minutes. This is important to activate the gluten. Shape into 1 or 2 long loaves. Place on baking sheets, and let rise for about 1 hour, or until your finger leaves an impression when you poke the bread gently.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Bake the bread for about 45 minutes for 2 loaves, 1 1/2 hours if you made one big loaf. Don't worry if the crust is dark. The bread will be delicious and so will the crust. Cool completely before cutting. I always freeze half.

BLACK BREAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve coffee in 1/4 cup warm water. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine remaining 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons warm water and molasses. Sprinkle yeast over top, stir, and let stand 5 minutes.
• Add honey, flours, cocoa, and salt to yeast mixture. Attach bowl to stand mixer fitted the dough-hook attachment and beat on low speed 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-low and beat until dough is smooth and slightly tacky, about 3 minutes (or knead by hand 15 to 20 minutes).
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface; knead by hand, turning dough over, 4 to 5 times before shaping into a ball. Transfer dough, smooth-side up, to a lightly oiled large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide in half. Set one half aside, loosely covered with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Shape remaining half into a 9-inch rectangle, with a short side parallel to work surface. Fold top third of dough towards center, then fold bottom third of dough on top, pressing gently to seal. Turn dough 90 degrees and repeat folding process, pinching seam and sides closed. Place seam-side down and roll dough back and forth with palms of hands to form a loaf about 12 inches long with tapered ends. Repeat shaping process with remaining half of dough. Sprinkle a clean cotton cloth with cornmeal and place loaves on top, spacing about 6 inches apart. Loosely cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees, with a pizza stone on rack in lower third and a skillet or baking pan on lowest rack, 30 minutes. Transfer loaves to a pizza peel or unrimmed baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. Brush tops with egg white. Using a lame (baker?s blade), razor blade, or serrated knife, make four diagonal cuts, 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep, across each loaf. Slide loaves from peel onto stone. If not using a stone, slide loaves onto a parchment-lined baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. Quickly pour boiling water into preheated skillet to create steam. Bake until loaves are dark brown and hollow-sounding when tapped on bottoms, about 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer loaves to a wire rack; let cool completely.

BUTTERKUCHEN

Steps:

• Butter a 9x13 inch pan and set aside. In a small mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Place milk, 1/2 cup sugar, salt and 1/2 cup butter in saucepan. Heat until sugar dissolves and butter melts. Cool to lukewarm. Add dissolved yeast and set aside.
• In large bowl combine flour, eggs and yeast mixture. Stir until smooth and blended. Pour into a buttered 9x13 inch pan, spreading dough evenly. Let rise in warm place for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. mix together and sprinkle over the dough. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and syrupy.

OLD-FASHIONED GERMAN COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• For cake, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in water. Let stand 5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine shortening, sugar and egg. Gradually mix in 2 cups flour, milk and yeast mixture. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Divide in half and press each half into a greased 11x7-in. baking pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Combine all topping ingredients except peaches. Sprinkle over dough. Top with peach slices. Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

GERMAN COFFEE BREAD

Steps:

• In mixing bowl dissolve yeast in warm water and let sit for about 10 minutes.
• Add sugar and salt and about half the flour.
• Beat thoroughly 2 minutes.
• Add egg and shortening. Beat in rest of flour gradually until smooth.
• Drop small spoonfuls over entire bottom of 9 inch greased pan.
• Cover and let rise in warm place until double in bulk about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile Combine the streusel ingredients and sprinkle over the bread before cooking.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees and bake 30-35 minutes.
• Immediately turn out of pan to avoid sticking. Serve warm.

THE BEST HOMEMADE COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• Get all of the ingredients out and easily available
• Scald the Milk. This can be done on the stove or in the microwave. You want the milk to have a film on top. For the microwave: Put the milk in for 2 minutes for 1 cup or 3 minutes for 2 cups. For the stovetop: Stir the milk and then let it sit. Eventually a film will develop. Do this on medium heat. PRO TIP: If you blow on the milk, you will be able see a film when the milk has scalded.
• Mix warm water with the yeast. The water needs to be warm (but not hot!) in order to activate the yeast. Stir in the yeast. If the water is hot, it will kill the yeast which will make the bread fail to rise. PRO TIP: Add a pinch of sugar if the yeast is not activating within the first two minutes. The extra sugar will allow the yeast to activate. If this does not work, likely the water was too hot or too cold, and it would be best to do this step over again.
• Mix sugar, salt, scalded milk, and Crisco (or butter) to create a batter.
• Add a cup or two of flour until you have a thick batter. You only add enough flour to make the batter thick typically no more than 2 of the 5 cups of the flour.
• Beat the two eggs together in a separate container.
• Add the yeast in water mixture and beaten eggs into the thick batter.
• Add the remainder of your flour slowly. (Subtract the number of cups you added previously from 5 to get the number to add here). Add cup by cup. By the last cup, you may want to put some flour on the countertop and put the batter on top; then, you can need the last cup of flour into the dough.
• Knead until smooth and holds a ball shape. (However, do not knead past this point, this may cause the dough to fail to rise).
• Grease the edges of a large bowl with butter. Then, place the dough in the bowl and lightly coat the dough with butter.
• Allow the dough to rise until it has roughly doubled in size. Cover the bowl with a towel. This should take an hour to an hour and a half. PRO TIP: If you do not have a proofing setting on your oven, turn the oven on low and put your bowl with dough on top of the oven - NOT IN IT! The warmth coming from the empty oven will come up as hot air rises and create a warmer environment around the oven for your dough to raise. Bonus: This image is after the dough has been pushed down slightly. It will raise to be larger than this.
• Then punch the dough to get the air out. Take the dough and divide it into two large pans or three circular pans.
• Spread the dough so that it covers the entire pan. Cover it with a towel and allow it to rise (proof) a second time. Again this should be about an hour to an hour and a half.
• Melt some butter. Take sugar and add cinnamon until you get a darker mixture, cinnamon sugar.
• Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
• Take the melted butter and brush it onto the newly risen dough. Then, liberally sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top.
• Open up on of the containers of sweetened condensed milk. Using the back of the spoon create a divet and fill it with sweetened condensed milk. Do this across the dough. PRO TIP: You can never have too many sweetened condensed milk holes!
• Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. PRO TIP: If you put the pan to close to the top of the oven, it will brulee the cinnamon sugar. You do not want this to happen, so it is best if you bake the pans on the bottom rack of the oven. PRO TIP: You do not want to overbake. If the bread looks done, take it out!! Overcooked coffee cake is much worse than underdone coffee cake. If it is underdone, you can always put it back in.
• ENJOY!! Eat the coffee cake with friends, family, share a pan with a neighbor, or eat the entire thing by itself straight out of the oven. PRO TIP: It is best right out of the oven!