Hazelnut Bread with Kefir

Roast the hazelnuts in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant, then let cool and coarsely chop.

Combine the wheat flour and cracked wheat in a large bowl and set aside 1 tbsp of the cracked wheat for later.

Stir half of the lukewarm kefir with crumbled fresh yeast and honey.

Cover the yeast mixture and let it sit for 10 minutes until it becomes slightly foamy.

Add the remaining kefir, salt and hazelnut oil to the yeast mixture and roughly combine with the flour–cracked wheat mixture.

Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic.

Place the dough in a floured bowl, cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190 °C fan (conventional: 210 °C).

Line a baking sheet with parchment. Briefly knead the roasted hazelnuts into the dough, then shape into a round loaf.

Place the loaf on the sheet, cover and let rise for another 30 minutes.

Make star-shaped cuts about 1/2 cm deep into the dough, brush with egg white and sprinkle with the remaining cracked wheat.

Bake the bread on the middle rack for 10 minutes at 190 °C fan (conventional: 210 °C) to set the crust.

Reduce the temperature to 170 °C fan (conventional: 190 °C) and finish baking the bread for 25–30 minutes.

Remove the bread from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.