December 28, 2007 - 8:51am
German Baking
Anyone know of any good German specific baking books? Pastry or Bread?
~TableBread
http://tablebread.blogspot.com
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Anyone know of any good German specific baking books? Pastry or Bread?
~TableBread
http://tablebread.blogspot.com
I too have been searching for a book about German breads, but I haven't found one yet. I have the book Breads from the Time Life Series The Good Cook which has a few recipes for German Breads. The Ulmer Brot, for example, comes from the book Das Kochbuch Aus Schwaben by Hans Karl Adam, so I'm assuming the recipes are authentic. (It also has recipes from other lands as well.) I suppose we need to get some of the German-speaking Fresh Loavers to buy a German book and translate for us. :)
SOL
I have found a lot of Austrian or Belgian baking books (think strudel and coffee cakes) but nothing German specific. I would even love to find something area specific like Bavarian or something!
In English, a good book is "German Baking Today" from Dr. Oetker. It has all the basic pastries, quark-oil, Muerbeteig, puff-pastry, etc. and cakes-yeast and regular.
The German baking book I use is "Backvergnuegen wie noch nie"(Joy of Baking), which might be out of print. If you have a specific recipe you would want translated, I can probably help, but don't have time to translate a complete book (which I used to get paid to do).
Jonquil
Johnquil, I was really just wanting to do some "baking history". My heritage is German - Bavarian, thank you very much ;) and I was just wanting to do some baking from the homeland. If you come across anything like that please let me know!
http://tablebread.blogspot.com
Jonquil - I would like to talk to you further about German recipes, do you have an email or if you want just leave a comment on my blog with it. http://tablebread.blogspot.com
Thanks,
TableBread
Jeffery Hamelman, author of _Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes_, worked in a German bakery for a period of time and _Bread_ contains very complete instructions for serveral families of ryes. He also describes some German decorative baking techniques but does not go into pastries. If you are seeking German ryes however I recommend reading _Bread_.
sPh
Hi Tablebread,
Have you tried any of Olli Leeb's cookbooks? less for bread, but for some interests that you mentioned. She has one called "Bavarian Cooking," and "My Favorite Cookies from the Old Country" also. Doesn't give you everything you're after, but a good start!
Also Dan Leader's Local Bread has some nice sections from Germany.
Also, as for German baking, Baumkuchen is where it's at! ;)
I would like to become better at German breads, so if you come across some good books in your travels, please pass the info along.
It's good to hear that Dan Leader's book has a good section on German breads I just ordered it and should be here any day now.
I had never heard of "Baumkuchen" so I spent a little time with our good pal Google and Wikipedia and WOW! 'The Tree Cake' looks like a task. I found a recipe adapted for the home cook here:
http://www.germanculture.com.ua/recipes/blxmas13.htm
I can't imagine baking something ANYTHING! on a spit. Either my definition of a spit differs from the authors intentions or there are some VERY SKILLED pastry chefs out there!
Thanks for the lead and I will let you know what I find.
Baumkuchen is a wonderful thing (and well kept secret). It is a spit as you're thinking, it is the mark of a good pastry chef for sure! (and you get to eat the baumkuchenspitzen, the drips that fall off as you go ;) )
Hi tablebread This is jonquil . If you want to contact me further, I can be reached at jonquil38@yahoo.com.
Schoenen Tag noch!
J
PS, The new Peter Reinhardt book, Whole Grain Breads, has several German bread recipes, two of which are rising right now in my kitchen. His method is a little radical, but the smell from the "German Many Seeded Bread" is earily familiar.
Jonquil