Ingredients:

400 g all-purpose wheat flour
100 g spelt flour (Dinkelmehl)
20 g fresh pressed yeast
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
350 g warm water
some coarse salt and cumin seeds for garnish

 

 

Preparation:

1. Mix together flour, salt, sugar, yeast and 250 g warm water till smooth.
2. Add the rest of water. Knead for 2 minutes.
3. Put the dough in a pan, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest in a warm place for 90 minutes.
4. Heat the oven to 250°C.
5. Knead the dough a little and form palm-size loaves.
6. Cover the baking sheet with baking paper and put the loaves in rows. Sprinkle all of them with coarse salt and cumin seeds.
7. Bake at 250°C for 5 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 200°C and bake for 20 more minutes till the Briegel are golden-brown.

Pfitzauf  is  a traditional Swabian dish. The dough consists of eggs, milk, flour, butter and  sugar and will be baked either in special fire-proof ceramic forms or fire-proof ceramic cups or even coffee cups. The original Pfitzauf forms are higher than regular muffin forms.

Because the dough will rise high over the baking cup while baking, the Swabians named it accordingly. The dough “pfitzt auf” (“pops out”). Pfitzauf is a sweet dish and is served with vanilla sauce, raspberry sauce, warm cherries and cream or compote. It can be served as a dessert as well.

Ingredients:

200 g flour
1/2 l milk
1 tbsp sugar
5 eggs
75 g butter
a pinch of salt
a bit of vanilla

Preparation:

1. Mix flour, milk and salt until very smooth.
2. Add eggs, sugar, vanilla and the melted butter. Mix well until it is smooth.
3. Grease the forms or cups and fill them with dough until they are half-filled.
4. Bake at 200 C for at least 20 minutes.
5. Leave the oven door open for about 10 minutes, then take the Pfitzaufs out of the form and dust with powdered sugar.

This German cherry cake recipe is called Kirschenmichel or Kirschenplotzer (literally translated as “cherry Michael” or “fallen cherries”). There are several different versions of it in Palatinate, mostly using leftover rolls that are soaked in milk. Kirschenplotzer tastes best fresh baked and still warm. Serve with whipped cream or/and vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

4 stale rolls or 6 slices stale bread
1 cup warm milk
3 eggs, separated
4 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
700 g pitted sour cherries, fresh or frozen, drained
a pinch of salt
2 Tbsp butter
1 – 2 Tbsp powdered sugar

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a casserole dish (about 23 cm x 30 cm) with butter.
2. Slice or cube rolls (bread). Put into bowl and pour milk over. Stir gently and let sit about 10 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the egg yolks, sugar, and cinnamon (if using). Gently stir in milk-soaked buns (bread) and well drained cherries.
4. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites and salt until stiff.
5. Gently fold egg whites into bread mixture.
6. Pour into greased casserole dish and smooth top. Dot with butter.
7. Bake about 40 minutes, until top is nicely browned. Let cool.
8. Just before serving, put powdered sugar into a sieve, and holding it over the bread pudding, tap sieve to dust the sugar over the top.

Tip:

The best bread to use is an artisan type, French or Italian loaf. Don’t use a regular sliced sandwich bread. It will just go mushy.

The butter cake recipe, aka Butterkuchen or Zuckerkuchen, is a traditional German cake often served for afternoon coffee. Popular when covered with butter, almonds, and sugar. It can also be topped with streusel (see recipe below).

Ingredients:

Yeast Dough
1 package (1 Tbsp) active dry yeast
¼ cup lukewarm water
1 tsp sugar
1 cup milk (lukewarm)
½ cup oil
1 egg
½ cup sugar
about 4 to 4½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup milk or cream

Topping
⅔ cup sugar
¾ cup chopped almonds
⅓ cup cold butter

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, mix yeast, water, and 1 tsp sugar. Let stand for about 5 – 10 minutes. This should be a little foamy.
2. Mix in 1 cup milk, oil, egg, and ½ cup sugar. Beat in 2 cups flour and mix well. Let stand 10 minutes.
3. Add more flour until a soft dough results. Remove from bowl and knead until smooth and elastic, adding flour ONLY if necessary if it is too sticky.
4. Put dough into a greased bowl. Cover and put in a draft-free warm place for about 30 – 60 minutes, until it has doubled in size.
5. Grease a 35 cm x 24 cm pan. Roll out dough to fit the pan and place it into it.
6. Make small hollows in the surface of the dough with your fingers.
7. Brush dough with ½ cup milk or cream.
8. Cut butter into small pieces and place in hollows.
9. Sprinkle ⅔ cup sugar and nuts over the dough.
10. Cover and let stand in a warm draft-free place for about 30 minutes.
11. Preheat oven to 200° C. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
12. Let cool slightly and cut into squares.

Hint:
You can make a streusel topping by mixing together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup butter into a crumbly mixture. Spread on top of dough instead of sprinkling the sugar and nuts.

Ingredients:
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1/4 cup chopped unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup chopped semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup water
1 cup unsalted soft butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
4 large egg yolks
4 large egg whites
2 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cooking:
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Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Melt both chocolates with 1/4 cup of water over simmering water. Cream together butter and 1 1/4 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly add the melted chocolate. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/chocolate mixture, alternately with milk and vanilla extract. Beat egg whites, whip in the 1/4 cup sugar until stiff, and fold it into the dough. Put the dough into a buttered and floured cake pan and bake until a wooden pick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool before filling and icing.

Filling:
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1 cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup toasted chopped pecans
1 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut lightly toasted

Add heavy cream, sugar and egg yolks. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 10-12 min. Remove from heat and pour through a fine strainer into a bowl. Add butter, salt, pecans and coconut.

Icing:
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Icing 8 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 1/2 oz unsalted butter

Heat cream. Pour over chopped chocolate and leave in peace for 5 minutes. Add the butter and the corn syrup. Stir gently until smooth.

Rum Syrup:
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3/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 oz dark rum to taste

Heat sugar and water until the sugar is dissolved. Cool and add rum to taste.

Cut the cake into 4 layers. Divide the filling into 4 equal parts. Starting with the bottom layer, brush the cake lightly with the rum syrup. Spread 1/4 of the filling on the layer making sure to get the filling all the way to the edge. Place the next layer on top. Repeat the process to the top layer. Ice the sides of the cake. Chill cake before cutting.

Authentic-tasting German bread is easier to make than you’d think. Bauernbrot, or farmer’s bread, is a hearty rye bread that is the standard loaf in many German homes, especially in the south. It was traditionally made from scratch in farm homes and baked in age-old, wood-fired ovens. It takes a few hours from start to finish, but most of that time is spent resting the dough or baking it. The final product has a dense crumb, full flavor and a chewy crust.

Ingredients:

Starter:

1 1/2 ounces (42 g) compressed fresh yeast
4 cups warm water
2 tablespoons white sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour

Dough:

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

Preparation:

1. Mix all starter ingredients in a large bowl. Cover the starter with plastic wrap and let it rest on the counter for 24 hours.
2. Using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the dough ingredients to the starter, starting with ½ c all purpose flour. Add additional all purpose flour as needed to help the dough come together. Knead on the mixer for 4-5 minutes, or turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 10-15 minutes.
   Shape the kneaded dough into a ball. Cover it with a damp tea towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for 2 hours.
3. Knead the dough a couple of times and shape it into its final round shape. Place the shaped dough onto a cornmeal-dusted baking sheet. Brush the top of the dough with a little of the egg white mixture and cut a few slices in the top of the dough, using a serrated knife. Let the shaped dough rise for 40-50 minutes.
4. Close to the end of rising time, preheat your oven to 425F (220C). Bake the bread for 40-45 minutes, until the bread sounds hollow when tapped.
5. Remove the bread from the baking sheet, and let it cool at least 10-15 minutes on a wire rack before cutting and serving with fresh butter.

Related recipes:
Rosinenbrot (German Raisin Bread)
Weizenbrötchen – German Rolls
Kartoffelbrot – German Potato Bread

This German Blitz Torte recipe is such a quick and easy cake to make. Even though this recipe looks long and complicated, it isn’t. Blitz means lightning or with lightning speed, and that’s what this cake is – speedy to make. For something even more special, add strawberries or other berries to the filling. Decorate this German Blitz Torte with whipped cream and more berries – a real treat!

Ingredients:

Meringue

• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ⅓ tsp baking powder
• ½ cup sliced or chopped almonds

Cake

• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 6 tbsp milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp almond extract

Filling (Custard-type)

• 1 cup milk
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 1 tbsp butter
• ½ tsp vanilla or almond extract
• 1 cup fresh berries (raspberries and blueberries, whole)

Preparation:

Meringue

• Preheat oven to 325° F (160° C).
• Grease and flour two 8-inch (20 cm) layer pans with removable bottoms. Set aside.
• In a bowl, beat egg whites until frothy (soft peak stage). Gradually beat in sugar and baking powder until stiff and glossy. Place in fridge until ready to use.

Cake

• In another bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg yolks.
• Mix together flour and baking powder. Add to butter mixture. Add milk and almond extract and mix well.
• Spread batter into pans. It will be a thin layer of batter. Use a wet spoon to help spread it out.
• Spread half of meringue over batter in each pan.
• Sprinkle each pan with almonds.

Finish Cake:

• Bake cake until cake tests done and meringue is set, about 35 – 40 minutes. Cool.
• While cake is baking, make filling (see below).
• Remove cake from pans. Let cool on rack. Place one layer on serving plate with the meringue side up. If you have a cake ring, place it around cake.
• Spread filling on layer. Add fresh berries.
• Place other layer on top with meringue side up. Carefully remove cake ring, if using.
• Decorate with Whipped Cream if desired. Keep refrigerated.
• Serves 8.

Filling (Custard-type)

• Mix milk, sugar, and corn starch together. Bring to boil, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat. Pour some of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk and mix. Pour egg mixture back into rest of hot milk and return to heat and bring just to boiling point.
• Remove from heat and add butter. Cool and add almond or vanilla extract.

Photo via www.kingarthurflour.com