The use of countless aromatics to flavor bread lies at the center of Germany's rich whole grain baking culture. Breads are often prepared with different grains and grinds of flour to achieve distinctively textured loaves. In this 100 percent whole grain loaf, I use spelt for its pleasing mild flavor, but you can use regular whole wheat flour. Yes, this is a thick-crusted loaf, unlike any bread you will find in a U.S. supermarket or pretty much anywhere else, but the inside will be chewy and soft with seeds and spices. Give it a day, and the crust will soften from the humidity in the air. Enjoy this unusual aromatic bread with cheese and cold cuts as a simple supper, or use as a base for a nourishing sandwich. It's also delicious with a bowl of soup.
This is an effortless no-knead bread made using an old technique, most recently revived by New York master baker Jim Lahey. I have taught students to make a slow-fermentation bread with minimal yeast for years, albeit in a plain old loaf pan — initially inspired by a recipe by German cookbook author Luise Brüggemann. I credit Lahey with introducing me to the use of a lidded heavy pot and a simple folding technique to get a truly spectacular artisinal bread — no wonder his method has won him cult status. If the lid of your Dutch oven has a plastic knob, be sure to wrap it in aluminum foil so it doesn't melt in the high heat of the oven.
_To vary it: You can use 3 cups regular whole wheat flour (13 ounces) for a slightly denser loaf. If you don't have a cast-iron pot, use a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 200°F, 40 to 45 minutes. You can also bake the bread in a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan. Grease the pan well with oil and sprinkle with 1 to 2 tablespoons flax seeds or sesame seeds. After folding the dough as in step 2, drop it seam side up right into the pan. Cover with a dish cloth for about 1 hour (do the finger-poke test as in step 3). After 30 minutes, place a rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 200°F, about 60 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, unmold, and return to the wire rack, right side up, to cool completely before cutting. For a nicer crust when using a skillet or a loaf pan, slide a second rack with a broiler tray into the lowest level of your oven when preheating. After you place the loaf in the oven, carefully add about 1 cup hot tap water to the tray. Stand back so the steam doesn't hit you!
To time it: Soak the whole grain berries the morning before, no later than lunchtime. Mix the dough (as in step 1) in the late afternoon or evening. Finish and bake the loaf (steps 2 through 5) in the morning, but no later than 18 hours after you start the dough._
