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Bread is a very important part of the German diet. It’s a staple food at breakfast , break-time  and supper  and there are lots of bread types to choose from, many of which are regional in nature. If you took the effort to travel all across the country, you would be able to enjoy more than 300 bread varieties and over 1,200 different bread rolls and baked goods in Germany. And you won’t have to look hard to find somewhere to buy bread. There are bakeries on every street in every village town and city in Germany.
German bread varieties differ according to the cereals used – rye or wheat – the ratio at which these bread grains are mixed, the type of cereal products as well as special ingredients and production methods. They can be divided into four categories: rye, wheat, whole meal and specialty breads containing other cereals such as spelt.

Here is a great recipe for authentic German Sourdough Bread:

Ingredients:

    1 1/2 ounces compressed fresh yeast
    1 quart warm water
    2 tablespoons white sugar
    4 cups all-purpose flour
    8 cups white rye flour

    4 cups all-purpose flour
    2 tablespoons salt
    1 teaspoon white sugar
    2 cups warm water

Directions:
Firstly:
First, make the sourdough starter. Crumble the yeast into a large bowl. Whisk in 1 quart of warm water and 2 tablespoons of sugar until dissolved. The water should be just slightly warmer than body temperature. Gradually whisk in 4 cups of flour, continuing to mix until all lumps are gone. Cover with a dish towel, and let sit for 24 hours at room temperature.

Secondly:
After 24 hours, stir well, cover, and let stand another 24 hours. It will be a thin, light-colored sourdough which is then ready to use.


Thirdly:
In a large bowl, stir together the rye flour, 4 cups of all-purpose flour, salt and sugar. Mix in the sourdough starter using a wooden spoon, then stir in 2 cups of warm water. I transfer the dough to a heavy duty stand mixer to mix the first couple of minutes, then it can't handle the heavy dough and I start using my hands by turning the dough out onto a floured surface. A clean countertop works best. Knead the dough, adding a few tablespoons of water at a time if it is too stiff. Fold the dough over, pull it apart, whatever you can do to get it kneaded up good. Total kneading time should be 15 to 20 minutes to get a smooth dough. Place the dough in a large bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, 1 to 2 hours.

Fourthly:
When the dough has risen, scrape it out of the bowl and back onto a floured surface. Knead for about 5 minutes. This is important to activate the gluten. Shape into 1 or 2 long loaves. Place on baking sheets, and let rise for about 1 hour, or until your finger leaves an impression when you poke the bread gently.

Fifthly:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Bake the bread for about 45 minutes for 2 loaves, 1 1/2 hours if you made one big loaf. Don't worry if the crust is dark. The bread will be delicious and so will the crust. Cool completely before cutting. You can always freeze the bread. The whole bread, or a half of or even in slices. After you unfreeze the bread you can bake it for short time ... then it is like fresh baked. My tip: wrap up the bread into alufoil before you bake it again... at least for the slices of bread is it necessary.


Notes:
If you want to make extra starter for the next time, simply add 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 2 cups water to the sourdough starter on the second day, and whisk smooth. Then let stand at room temperature for 24 hours before next use. Use half, and save the other half for the next time. Let stand for 24 hours, stirring once before using. If freezing, use within 2 weeks.
Humidity and heat play a big role in making this bread. It may not work well if it is to humid and hot outside. In this case I recommend that you make the bread starting at 5am.