In most countries north of the Alpes, the climate is characterised by long, cold winters and short, hot summers. This type of climate favours the growth of rye and spelt. German breads are therefore traditionally rye and spelt-based breads. However the area that is now Germany has not been a single country for that long (the first unified Germany under the Prussian Emperor was founded in 1871). For centuries many small states with numerous princes, dukes, counts, and earls all with constantly shifting alliances made up the area that is known as modern day Germany. This has resulted in huge regional differences in culture, architecture, humour, and of course cooking and baking. These differences, developed over centuries, resulted in the largest variety of breads in the world (more than 300) and small breads and pastries, so called Kleingebaeck (more than 1200), and can still be found across Germany today. With such a huge variety to choose from it comes as no surprise that Germans are the worlds number one bread consumers, eating approximately 80 kg of bread per person per year (this is the equivalent of one bread roll and four slices of bread per day). Sounds a lot? It is considerably less than what Germans used to eat. In the 19th century bread constituted 80% of a persons daily energy – approximately 400- 500g per day.
Die Bretzel – the pretzel
Very characteristic for German baking are the so called Gebildebrote – breads that are shaped to make a specific figure or image. These breads originate from religious and seasonal festivities and are only baked for this purpose or the specific holiday. The most famous and probably only one known outside of Germany is the pretzel – Bretzel in German. There are many stories told about the origins of the pretzel, however it is believed that it originates from the Romans, who made ring-shaped sacrificial breads for their religious offerings. This custom was then adopted by early Christians and carried on and modified to eventually make the pretzel. In Germany pretzels are not the dry and crusty little chip-like things that one has with a glass of beer or wine, they are big, doughy, and soft on the “bellyside”, and the little “arms” are crunchy and salty. Pretzels are best eaten straight out of the oven or with a dollop of butter.
The pretzel has been THE symbol of the bakers trade since 1300 AD and it still graces the German bakers guilds emblem today.
Bread baking throughout the year
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The first professional bakeries were probably established by the Romans to feed their extensive troops. The bakers profession was carried on in monastries and the formation of cities in early medieval times established a need for an organised supply of food to the cities ever growing population. The laws and regulations by Charles the great (812 AD) already contain passages on the specifics of the bakers trade. In the 12th century the formation of the guilds specified the different types of bakers. There were the Schwarz- und Sauerbaecker (black and sour bakers), who made the dark and sourdough leavened breads and the Weiss- und Suessbaecker (white and sweet bakers), who made the whitebreads, small breads, pastries and cakes. However, white flour was expensive and white breads and cakes where only for the upper classes and for special occasions. Bread was sold at breadmarkets or out of the window of the kitchen. It was not until the 17th century that bakeries adopted a shop that was seperate from the kitchen and that then sold a larger variety of products.
In the v
illages and countryside bread was usually baked in a so called “Backhaus” meaning bakehouse. The bakehouses were built in the centre of the village next to the village well and the church – after all one needed water for the bread and the church clock for timing the baking of the bread. The women of the village prepared their breads at home. The dough was made from a family sourdough starter culture, the breads were shaped, and had time to rise and were then slashed with the family's sign, to distinguish them from other family's breads (this is where todays decorative slashing of bread loaves orginates from). At the set time, the women would take the ready leavened bread to the bakehouse to be baked. In some villages these old bakehouses can still be found and have in recent years created a new sense of community, with village bakeclasses and friends and family being invited for a community baking event.