In der Sendung “Wie man ein echt gutes Brot backt” von SWR Handwerkskunst geht es um die Kunst des Brotbackens. Dabei lernen wir nicht nur die verschiedenen Zutaten und Techniken kennen, sondern auch die Leidenschaft und Hingabe, die hinter diesem Handwerk steckt. Denn ein gutes Brot zu backen ist viel mehr als nur eine einfache Handlung - es ist ein Stück Tradition und Kultur.

Wie man ein echt gutes Brot backt | SWR Handwerkskunst

At four in the morning on the Swabian Alb, Günther Weber begins his 20-hour process of baking farmer’s bread. As an established master baker, he understands the power of knowledge, patience, and experience in his craft. However, his most crucial ingredients are not found in any recipe. Instead, they come from his sourdough culture, a special blend of acid bacteria and yeast fungi that have been cultivated over 18 years.

For Günther, the oven is the boss. He prepares the sourdough culture 16 hours beforehand and carefully monitors the temperature of the water to promote the growth of lactic acid, which creates a soft dough, or acetic acid, which creates a firm dough. Günther’s years of experience have left him with a deep understanding of how to balance these variables and create the perfect dough for his farmer’s bread.

At the first stage of the rye sourdough process, Günther adds lukewarm water and an approximate amount of rye flour to the bucket. Here, the process is less about measuring and weighing and more about feeling. Günther adds flour until the mixture reaches a soft dough consistency and carefully monitors the temperature before letting the dough rest for five hours.

Afterward, the second stage of the sourdough process begins, with Günther adding stale bread and cold water to the mixture. This creates a strong, sour taste consistent with farmer’s bread. Once again, rather than following strict measurements, Günther trusts his feelings to achieve the desired consistency and taste.

With the dough prepared, Günther kneads it using his intuition, listening for a muted, dry smacking sound to ensure the dough is firm. Here, experience is key, and Günther recalls it took two years before he knew when dough was at the right consistency simply by sound.

Finally, Günther creates a yeast pre-dough with moderately light wheat flour and warm water. No additives are used, with flavorings coming naturally from the dough. The process finishes after 20 hours, and the bread is left to cool before being sold at Günther’s store on the 300-year-old Lorettohof farm.

Overall, Günther’s process is a testament to the power of natural ingredients and the experience that comes with decades of practice. His hand-crafted farmer’s bread is beloved by his customers and serves as a reminder that in a world of instant gratification, quality and flavor take time and patience.
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