Buckwheat Raisin Bread

For nearly a decade of my life, Saturdays meant roisenbrot day from Mahlzahn Backerei in Neuenheim, Heidelberg.  Picking up a loaf generally involved a morning walk across Bruckenstrasse with Sophie our Bernese Mountain Dog stopping traffic as she languished along behind Sebastian’s kinderwagon. Although we’ve said farewell to Sophie and gluten since those days and there was never a replacement for Sophie’s big heart I think I finally found a Gluten-free Roisienbrot that stands the Mahlzahn test.  Thanks once again to Aran Goyoaga for the inspiration. 

You may be pleased to learn there’s no sourdough involved so you can make this bread tonight if you have an enamel cast iron dutch oven handy.  This workhorse of the kitchen makes every oven a bread oven including my countertop toaster oven.  I hope you enjoy this bread as much as we do. Close your eyes with the first bite and you might even see the Heidelberg castle. 

Ingredients

• 500 g (2 ¼ cup)  of plant-based milk, I use almond
• 3 TBL of maple syrup, date syrup, or honey
• 1 TBL yeast
• 3 TBL Psyllium Husks
• 240 g Buckwheat Flour ( 2 cups) 
• 120 g Tapioca Starch ( 1 cup)
• Grated zest from one lemon
• ½ tea cinnamon
• ¼ tea cardamon
• 1.5 tea salt
• ½ cup raisins
• 1 TBL sesame seeds

Directions

1. Weigh all dry ingredients and place in the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor. Blend briefly to mix.
2. In a saucepan, gently warm milk to 110 degrees, add sweetener, and yeast, whisking to combine.  Allow yeast to activate until frothy.  Add psyllium husks and allow 5 minutes to gel.
3. Pour wet ingredients into dry and process or mix for 2 minutes. The dough will be sticky.
4. Turn out onto a floured board knead in raisins and form into a ball. 
5. Gently placed in flour and sesame seed-dusted bowl or proofing basket to rise, cover with a damp towel, and set aside for 45-60 minutes depending on air temperature.
6. 30 minutes prior to baking place the dutch oven with the lid on the rack and preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
7. When the dough is ready to bake gently slide it into the hot dutch oven, cover, and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 degrees, remove lid from dutch oven and continue baking another 30 minutes. 
8. Despite temptation otherwise, cool this loaf completely before slicing. Cut in slices for toast or into quarters for freezing.  Warm gently at 175 degrees for 20 minutes prior to serving.