15 replies to this topic

[Woods]

Hello all,

Does anyone have any recommendations for a good German cookbook devoted to bread and pastries? I have so many classic French books but can find very little devoted to the German baking tradition. I have seen the Dr. Oetker German Baking Today but know nothing of it. Joe Ortiz has a few breads in his book and they are very good but I'm looking for a more complete treatment.

Thanks

[Carrot Top]

It does seem that with all the cookbooks that are out on every subject imaginable, German baking is just not often among them, surprisingly.

The only book I remember reading German baking in (and I am an avid bookhound) is from the old Time-Life series that was published in the late 1960's.

At one point in time, I had all these books, having found them at a bookfair, but they have all been given away over the years, what with moving from place to place, and only the one I consider the best remains in my collection...'The Cooking of Vienna's Empire'.
Talk about baking recipes...whoooo! If I were you, I would trot right across the border to Austria for some great baking recipes.

If you are set on Germany, however, I think many public libraries carry this collection of Time-Life books. 'The Cooking of Germany', it's probably simply called.

Best of luck!

[McDuff]

They are also available on ebay. I may have duplicates of the German and/or Austrian book I could send you gratis.

[Woods]

Thanks for the feed back. I do have some of those time-life books in a box, I'll check there. I also have Kaffehaus which is Austrian and good but it really has no savory breads at all. German bread baking is ancient so you'd think there would be something out there. There probably is but it would be in German which I can barely fumble through.

[chromedome]

I own the Dr. Oetker book, and it's reasonably good. Haven't made much from it as yet, mind you. It seems to be at about the level of a Time-Life or similar cookbook. There are plentiful illustrations, and the translation is well done.

In another thread, on the subject of Dobos Torte, there is mention of a highly-respected book about the pastries of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. I don't recall the title and am too tired to search for it right now, but it's out there somewhere.

The recent "Eurodelices" series of books, from Konemann, include a volume on Pastries (ISBN 3-8290-1131-8) which features recipes from a number of leading German and Austrian pastrychefs. Unfortunately, these come largely without any historic/cultural context.

...it's a start, anyway.

I'm going to be looking for similar books (for my own interest) over the next little while, so if I come up with any gems I'll let you know.

[Woods]

Great Chromedrome. I will do the same. By the way, I'm well on my way to a chromedome.

[jtphjl]

I don't own, but borrow (library) and yes, have photocopied from the library sections from Horst Scharfenberg's The Cuisines of Germany - I like his presentations, his inclusions of hard to find recipes from Silesia (for example) and if I have the correct book in mind, he has various recipes for Mohnstriezel, in addition to a detailed Hefeteif (yeast dough) section. He is also the author of The German Kitchen (not as much of a dedication in this book to baking).

I own but don't love the Dr. Oetker book, same goes for, "The New German Cookbook" by Jean Anderson and Hedy Wurz. Recipes are pretty basic and I know the Dr. Oetker book was generated for an American audience".

Another very good book, small paperback, and somewhat hard to find is : German Cooking-500 recipes by Elizabeth Schuler - Hefeteif recipes are few but very basic.

I have found folks eager to share recipes through www.germandeli.com there is a link to germancooking@egroups.com. I go here for Brot recipes and members always caution that the same recipe will always be different in the US...but you will get home recipes that you can work with and as I said, the group members are very engaging!

Jan

[artisanbaker]

goto chipsbooks.com

Baking, the Art and Science



for pros

[pistachio]

There is a publisher specializing in gastronomy books, called Matthaes.
You might wanna browse through the online offerings:

http://www.matthaes....ules/inhalt.php

Under "Baeckerei und Konditorei" there are 4 categories which you can browse. Each offers a variety of specialized books. Hope that helps.

Alles Liebe,
Pistachio.

[KarenS]

How many great Jewish German bakers were killed during WWII? Maybe that's a reason why more baking books weren't written or haven't survived?

[artisanbaker]

also see the richemont books for germanic products. available thru albert uster.

their will be a new jewish bakery book coming out soon by maggie glezer of "artisan baking across america" fame. stay tuned.

[Redsugar]

A variety of titles on both Austrian & German cookery are available here:

http://www.biggsuperstore.com/austriancookbooks.htm

[ludja]

I just ran across this thread and was reminded of a recent thread looking for Semmel and Broetchen recipes. Not a book but, Schneich provided what looks like an informative link.
click

there is a great amateur baker website with all the german broetchen recipes. the woman who owns it is very much into breadmaking, she also has all the peter reinhardt and la brea recipes online, so she quite knows what she´s doing. i case you knead translation just msg me ;-)

cheers

t.

Edited by ludja, 06 February 2007 - 11:07 AM.

[ludja]

Ii forgot another book I have that I should add to this thread.

It's Festive Baking: Holiday Classics in the Swiss, German adn Austrian Traditions by Sarah Kelly Iaia.

In terms of breads there is really mainly only recipes for Christmas and Easter breads so it won't help in that sense.

The chapters are:
Lebkuchen
Butter Cookies
Whisked Egg Cookies and Confections
Deep-Fried Pastries and Griddle Wafers
Festive Breads
Cakes, Pastries and Mehlspeisen.

I also like and use Rick Rodger's Kaffehaus a lot for Ausrian cakes and pastries.

Nick Malgieri has a higher than normal average of Austrian and German (more Austrian) recipes in some of these international books listed below.

A Baker's Tour :
Nick Malgieri's Favorite Baking Recipes from Around the World
Hardcover - 352 pages (October 2005)
HarperCollins; ISBN: 0060582634

Perfect Cakes
Hardcover - 368 pages (November 2002)
HarperCollins; ISBN: 0060198796

and

Cookies Unlimited
Hardcover - 384 pages (October 2000)
HarperCollins; ISBN: 0060192852

[ludja]

There is a publisher specializing in gastronomy books, called Matthaes.
You might wanna browse through the online offerings:

http://www.matthaes....ules/inhalt.php

Under "Baeckerei und Konditorei" there are 4 categories which you can browse. Each offers a variety of specialized books. Hope that helps.

Alles Liebe,
Pistachio.

Thanks pistachio. It's great to have this link to food-related books in German including the baking books.

There looks to be some interesting books listed here including this one for rustic breads. click

Rustikale Sauerteigbrote
Sauerteigbrote: lecker, bekömmlich und gesund.
Best. Nr.: 00025

Since I'm not an accomplished bread baker I think I would be cautious of trying one written in German--it seems like too much margin for error between my translation, breadbaking skills and differences in ingredients. Also, if I'm translating correctly this publisher and these books seem designed more for professional rather than home bakers.


My theory regarding the dearth of German baking books for home bakers may be that neighborhood bakeries are still more of a force over there so that people bake less at home. My grandmother bakes some desserts at home (in Austria) but buys her bread daily from her neighborhood baker. This wouldn't explain why there aren't books for English-speakers though but I guess nowadays German and Austrian breads are less known in the US than they used to be or compared to breads from Italy or France.

Edited by ludja, 06 February 2007 - 01:02 PM.

[DanM]

I want to bump this thread and see if anyone knows if there have been any good German baking books published in the past 3 years.

Dan