I grew up in Germany so I’m probably biased but I love German bread - especially German rye bread. It’s somehow unique - not as sweet as rye bread in Scandinavia tends to be and sour in a more pronounced way with less of a molasses flavour than Eastern European rye bread tends to have. And I find German rye bread pairs exceptionally well with butter, ham and cheese (but less so with sweeter toppings like jam or nut butters if you ask me).
That being said, in my own bread-baking and sourdough experiments I have somehow focussed on the SF / Tartine style loaves - custardy open-crumbed, barely sour etc. and have made very few German style breads.
Mmmm. Butter. I have a bit of the same story, in my baking (for many years), I either made soft fluffy breads or aimed at the open-crumbed sourdough. I yearn for the variety that you see in German breads. From super-dense hearty Vollkornbrot to Mischbrot in the middle to lighter-than-air Seelen (a Swabian Brötchen).
Hadn’t had any opinion until I was in Germany for 6 weeks and learned it was phenomenally delicious! Who knew? I didn’t. They also had wonderful paper goods, and had been ahead of the US on environmental issues. No plastic cups for condiments at fast food restaurants— catsup went into a tiny edible waffle cups. Other innovations as well. But, back to the subject, the bread was a revelation!
That was me, too! The first time I visited, I was shocked and amazed at all the delicious bread. And when I went to Oktoberfest in Munich, there was no plastic or disposable stuff. All the food and drinks we got were on plates or in glasses that we had to return after using them.
I honestly haven't really thought about German bread all that much but following your adventures (and having some recent experiments with rye) has me VERY interested now!
Thanks, Lukas! I've heard a lot that folks know about French or Italian bread even if they haven't been to those countries, but less so with German bread. (I also acknowledge my privilege of visiting Germany a few times and growing up eating a few German-inspired breads.)
I grew up in a German household as well and my breakfast was always Nutellabrot. Hard solid bread with lots of rye & seeds & fiber. My favorite bread is Zwiebelbrot -- a Mischbrot with rye and roasted onions. My last trip to Germany resulted in bread-disappointment: my usual bakery didn't bake their own anymore; they got their bread delivered from some factory in Frankfurt and they didn't make Sourdough. Oh, and Zwiebelbrot was not in season! đŸ™„ I make my own sourdough now, with beer & onions, and at least 50% freshly milled flour. I got a Mockmill for Xmas; and I'm learning to mix in 100% freshly milled flour into my sourdough bread. Do you know how hard that is to make a free-standing sourdough loaf with 100% freshly milled flour??? đŸ˜‚ I use a mix of hard wheats, rye, spelt & triticale and the fluid is always beer. Bier-Mischbrot!! Oma said "Wasser ist zum Waschen da"(water is for washing), and beer bread just tastes better anyway. đŸ˜‰
Thanks, Sabine! I just got back from 3 weeks in Germany, and I can vouch that there are many amazing bakeries still baking there. Freshly milled and stone-milled flours work very differently than roller-milled flours.
I love the hearty flavorful, seedy German breads also similar to other Eastern European and Swedish breads. Miss them after traveling and eating them daily! I do try to make them on. occasions.Now I want some!
There's a blurry line between national bread traditions across the world. But every time I come home from Germany, I miss the heartier bread especially.
Big fan of German breads! As I get older, I find myself craving denser, seedier, whole-grain-ier breads, and German breads check a lot of those boxes! Also, for picnics and other occasions, my mom would always get delicious crusty rolls from a German deli, and they remain one of my very favorite things to eat.
Denser, seedier, whole-grain-ier breads are always what I'm craving, and I wish there were more options here in the States. In German, there's always an array of grainy, seedy, hearty breads.
Didn't take the poll but I'd vote "very interested". Been to plenty of restaurants in the U.S., even worked at one (and the owners were definitely German), and been to Germany but it was at a time I was more interested in sausage and beer so... Definitely intrigued though after your last post.
For many people, sausage and beer are the first things that come to mind. For me, it's bread and wine. I'm glad you're interested because more on German bread is coming your way.
Good question! There are hundreds (maybe thousands) of different types of Mischbrot, which means it's made from a mix of grains. I'll definitely be working on a few different recipes.
My ex is German and was very unhappy with the bread in the US (30 years ago), so I learned how to bake bread. Eager for whatever you share and teach on the subject of German bread!
I grew up in Germany so I’m probably biased but I love German bread - especially German rye bread. It’s somehow unique - not as sweet as rye bread in Scandinavia tends to be and sour in a more pronounced way with less of a molasses flavour than Eastern European rye bread tends to have. And I find German rye bread pairs exceptionally well with butter, ham and cheese (but less so with sweeter toppings like jam or nut butters if you ask me).
That being said, in my own bread-baking and sourdough experiments I have somehow focussed on the SF / Tartine style loaves - custardy open-crumbed, barely sour etc. and have made very few German style breads.
Mmmm. Butter. I have a bit of the same story, in my baking (for many years), I either made soft fluffy breads or aimed at the open-crumbed sourdough. I yearn for the variety that you see in German breads. From super-dense hearty Vollkornbrot to Mischbrot in the middle to lighter-than-air Seelen (a Swabian Brötchen).
Yes, the variety is really something special!
Hadn’t had any opinion until I was in Germany for 6 weeks and learned it was phenomenally delicious! Who knew? I didn’t. They also had wonderful paper goods, and had been ahead of the US on environmental issues. No plastic cups for condiments at fast food restaurants— catsup went into a tiny edible waffle cups. Other innovations as well. But, back to the subject, the bread was a revelation!
That was me, too! The first time I visited, I was shocked and amazed at all the delicious bread. And when I went to Oktoberfest in Munich, there was no plastic or disposable stuff. All the food and drinks we got were on plates or in glasses that we had to return after using them.
I honestly haven't really thought about German bread all that much but following your adventures (and having some recent experiments with rye) has me VERY interested now!
Thanks, Lukas! I've heard a lot that folks know about French or Italian bread even if they haven't been to those countries, but less so with German bread. (I also acknowledge my privilege of visiting Germany a few times and growing up eating a few German-inspired breads.)
I grew up in a German household as well and my breakfast was always Nutellabrot. Hard solid bread with lots of rye & seeds & fiber. My favorite bread is Zwiebelbrot -- a Mischbrot with rye and roasted onions. My last trip to Germany resulted in bread-disappointment: my usual bakery didn't bake their own anymore; they got their bread delivered from some factory in Frankfurt and they didn't make Sourdough. Oh, and Zwiebelbrot was not in season! đŸ™„ I make my own sourdough now, with beer & onions, and at least 50% freshly milled flour. I got a Mockmill for Xmas; and I'm learning to mix in 100% freshly milled flour into my sourdough bread. Do you know how hard that is to make a free-standing sourdough loaf with 100% freshly milled flour??? đŸ˜‚ I use a mix of hard wheats, rye, spelt & triticale and the fluid is always beer. Bier-Mischbrot!! Oma said "Wasser ist zum Waschen da"(water is for washing), and beer bread just tastes better anyway. đŸ˜‰
Thanks, Sabine! I just got back from 3 weeks in Germany, and I can vouch that there are many amazing bakeries still baking there. Freshly milled and stone-milled flours work very differently than roller-milled flours.
I love the hearty flavorful, seedy German breads also similar to other Eastern European and Swedish breads. Miss them after traveling and eating them daily! I do try to make them on. occasions.Now I want some!
There's a blurry line between national bread traditions across the world. But every time I come home from Germany, I miss the heartier bread especially.
Big fan of German breads! As I get older, I find myself craving denser, seedier, whole-grain-ier breads, and German breads check a lot of those boxes! Also, for picnics and other occasions, my mom would always get delicious crusty rolls from a German deli, and they remain one of my very favorite things to eat.
Denser, seedier, whole-grain-ier breads are always what I'm craving, and I wish there were more options here in the States. In German, there's always an array of grainy, seedy, hearty breads.
Didn't take the poll but I'd vote "very interested". Been to plenty of restaurants in the U.S., even worked at one (and the owners were definitely German), and been to Germany but it was at a time I was more interested in sausage and beer so... Definitely intrigued though after your last post.
For many people, sausage and beer are the first things that come to mind. For me, it's bread and wine. I'm glad you're interested because more on German bread is coming your way.
Barbara Fuqua, who worked at the winery and lived in Germany, says Mischbrot was her favorite. Do you have a recipe?
Good question! There are hundreds (maybe thousands) of different types of Mischbrot, which means it's made from a mix of grains. I'll definitely be working on a few different recipes.
My favorite is the brötchen with pumpkin seeds you get on Saturday mornings in your local bakery. Eating them fresh and warm is a mouthful.
Yum! I don't think Americans appreciate the loveliness of a warm, crusty Brötchen.
They don't know what they are missing out!
My ex is German and was very unhappy with the bread in the US (30 years ago), so I learned how to bake bread. Eager for whatever you share and teach on the subject of German bread!
Thanks for the comment! Yes, after spending 3 weeks in Germany I'm yearning for the diversity of fresh bread options they had there.
Love a good rye. German ryes are made with a much higher % of rye flour. So good.
Mmmmmm. So tasty.
Love it as long as it's covered in plenty of butter.
And/or cheese, meats, spreads, etc. But mostly butter.