
Franzi’s organic sourdough black bread – vegan
Hi friends,
I’m glad you ended up here! First of all: I am German – please excuse any translation errors. If you have any questions about the recipe, just write me a comment. Thanks a lot!
Besides travelling, baking is one of my hobbies. I have been baking my own bread since the mid-1980s. When my children were small, I was very busy with healthy nutrition and at that time made some cooking and baking courses into wholefood nutrition. From one of these courses I got the recipe for this delicious brown bread, which I have been baking again and again for many years. I call it „the world’s best brown bread“. We also like to take it with us on our travels. Traveling in Crete/GRThat’s what it looks like:

🌾 The World’s Best Wholegrain Sourdough Bread
Organic, vegan, long-lasting, and incredibly delicious!
🛒 Ingredients (for 1 large loaf – 35 cm loaf pan)
Grains & Seeds
- 600 g rye flour (medium ground)
- 600 g rye flour (coarsely ground)
- 200 g wheat or spelt flour (finely ground)
- 100 g flaxseeds
- 150 g sunflower seeds (2 tbsp for the pan, 1 tbsp for topping)
Seasoning & Flavor
- 3 tsp bread spice (ground: fennel, anise, coriander, and caraway)
- 3–4 level tsp salt
- 200 g dark sugar beet syrup
Leavening & Liquid
- 6–7 tbsp sourdough starter
- approx. 1,500 ml lukewarm water (about 30 °C / 86 °F)
Extras
- Grease for the baking pan
- 1 large jar to store leftover sourdough
- Optional: a grain mill – if you want to grind fresh flour at home whenever you want!
- My Komo-Mill
🥣 Preparation
Day 1: Evening – Prepare the pre-dough
In a large bowl, mix:
- 600 g medium rye meal
- 6–7 tbsp sourdough starter
- 600 ml lukewarm water
→ Cover and let sit overnight at room temperature (at least 20 °C / 68 °F).
→ Important: Before proceeding the next day, scoop out 6–7 tbsp of sourdough into a clean jar. This is your starter for next time – store it in the fridge.
Mix these 3 ingredients together and leave to stand for approx. 12 hours. The room (e.g. kitchen) should be at least 20 °C warm. Avoid draughts! Sourdough needs some warmth and time, then the baking is very simple with it. From this pre-dough you have made the sourdough for the next baking the next morning. It will continue to grow in the refrigerator, so please do not choose the glass too small for storage.

Day 2: Morning – Make the main dough and bake
1. Mix remaining ingredients into the pre-dough:
- 600 g coarse rye meal
- 200 g wheat or spelt flour
- 100 g flaxseeds
- 150 g sunflower seeds (keep 3 tbsp aside for the tin and topping)
- 200 g sugar beet syrup
- 3–4 tsp salt
- 300 ml lukewarm water (adjust if needed)
→ Mix everything well (hand mixer or kitchen machine works great). The dough should be thick and sticky but not dry.
→ If too firm, add a bit more warm water. If too runny, add 2–3 tbsp rolled oats to bind.
2. Prepare the baking tin: My baking tin
- Grease the loaf pan
- Sprinkle 2 tbsp sunflower seeds inside
3. Fill in the dough:
- Pour the dough into the pan
- Lightly score the top with a knife
- Sprinkle with 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
- Cover with baking paper and a kitchen towel
- Let rest for 3–4 hours at room temperature

Cut the top of the dough slightly so that the bread doesn’t crack Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sunflower seeds and press them down lightly.
🍞 Baking
- Preheat oven to 200 °C (392 °F) top/bottom heat – 10 minutes
- Place the pan on the lower rack
- Total baking time: 90 minutes
- 30 minutes at 200 °C (392 °F)
- Reduce to 175 °C (347 °F) and bake for another 60 minutes
- Carefully remove bread from the pan
- Place on a wire rack and let cool uncovered for at least 12 hours


🧊 Storage
- Once fully cooled, wrap in a clean kitchen towel
- Store in a bread box or large freezer bag
- Stays fresh 8–10 days, even up to 14 days
- Freezing tip: Slice and freeze some – toast or bake to reheat
✅ Conclusion
This bread is:
✔️ Easy to make (just needs planning)
✔️ Affordable, filling and healthy
✔️ Perfect for on-the-go, office lunch or snacks
✔️ Vegan, high in fiber, flavorful
✔️ Crispy crust – soft, moist center
💡 “Baking your own bread is deeply satisfying – you save money, know exactly what’s inside, and the taste is simply unbeatable!”
Happy baking!
If you have questions or want to share your results – leave a comment or send a picture!
Warm wishes,
Franzi
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