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Oh How I Love My Daily Bread!By Erika WrightI believe it was Julia Child who posed the question; "how can a nation be great if its bread tastes like Kleenex?" If this is the case, then Germany is indeed one of the greatest of nations. Truth be told, I have always had a weakness for fresh baked bread. After living in Germany for well over a year, I felt truly spoiled. Nothing compares to a nice dark, chewy, wholesome German bread (Brot) fresh out of the oven. Throughout Germany, in every city and every village, there still exist many small family owned and operated bakeries. One can buy fluffy white breakfast buns (Brötchen) or dark, hearty mixed-grain breads and everything in between. Because the bread is fresh, it doesn’t last as long as store bought bread, so most people in Germany go to the bakery every couple of days to buy a freshly baked loaf (or half of a loaf). I couldn’t help myself - first thing in the morning I was drawn by the delicious smell of fresh baked bread wafting through the air.
My curiosity and love of bread prompted me to visit a local baker in Berlin and find out more about this wonderful staple. I made a trip to the Rateitschak Bäckerei and Konditorei and spoke with master bread baker (Brotmeister) Thomas Rateitschak. Rateitschak is a family owned and operated bakery that has been in business for more than 80 years and 4 generations. While my intention was to learn about bread, I ended up also learning quite a bit about the standing of family owned bakeries like Rateitschak in Germany today.
Thomas is a trained and certified bread Meister and is happy to pass his knowledge on to the next generation. Since 1919 Rateitschak Bäkerei has trained approximately 200 bakers, pastry chefs (a different profession entirely) and shop assistants. Teaching in this way guarantees the continuation of the craft. "It is not so simple today to be a successful baker, because the competition of large companies has increased”, says Thomas. But he is not at all ready to give up. Thomas’s father, who believed that “only he who dares, can win,” opened three branches and a cafe. Thomas says he would like the family tradition to carry on and for Rateitschaks to continue bringing quality products to their customers across Berlin.
Thomas starts work at 1am. This is to ensure that his customers get a fresh product. He said that at one time in Germany it was outlawed for anyone to start work before 3am. The time ordinance was meant to offer protection to the smaller bakeries from their larger competitors. However, the industry pushed for the abolishment of that law because gas stations which were open all night had bakeries in them and would begin baking before 3am. This gave them an unfair advantage over the other bakers. To become a Brotmeister is no small feat. First, after completing school, one must complete a 3 year apprenticeship to learn all the ins and outs of bread making. Apprentices work the counter, clean up the bakery, and participate (under supervision) in all stages of running a bakery. After the apprenticeship, they are eligible to work in a bakery. After 5 years of work experience, they are eligible to train to become a Meister. At that point they would need to attend school in the evenings for 2 more years. They must complete 4 exams, dealing with education, theory and chemical processes, mathematics, and 1 practical exam which includes preparing a display of their products with a theme. Once a Meister, they are allowed to take on apprentices of their own and teach the trade of bread making to other young apprentices.
Although these mass produced breads are a different quality than what is produced in the smaller bakeries where nothing is ever subjected to freezing, Thomas points out that “people get used to a different quality.” Today many people feel forced to choose saving a few dollars over choosing better quality bread. Thomas says that he pays less for toast at the store than if he produced it himself. In Germany there are 18,000 “craft bakers” but this number is expected to decrease by nearly half in the next five years, according to a report by the UK Federation of bakers. They also mention a change in the demographics of bread consumption saying that in Germany today, more than 500,000 tons of Turkish bread is produced by and for the Turkish community, accounting for 10% of all German bread production. All these figures and numbers are a little disheartening (except the rise in Turkish bread, which is also quite tasty), but it’s nice to know that people like Thomas Rateitschak are proudly carrying on the tradition of baking good old fashioned German bread. I love the traditional German breakfast of a variety of bread slices, fresh white rolls, various sliced meats, preserves, and a selection of cheese or cheese spreads. And whenever I am in charge of buying bread in Germany, I will make sure to patronize the small family run businesses rather than the big flashy chain stores. Like a fine wine or a good cheese, bread should be bought from someone who is well trained in their craft and who loves their product. German Bread Recipes:
Grain and Buttermilk bread (Körner-Buttermilch-Brot): My boyfriend made this bread for my family when he first came to visit us in California. It should be easy for people who live in small isolated towns (like me) to find all of the ingredients. Flour 550 (all-purpose) 650g (about 5
⅛ cups) Place the flour in a bowl and make a hole in the middle of it. Place the yeast, room-temperature buttermilk and the salt into the hole in the middle of the flour. Mix it with your hands using the flour from the sides to create a softly worked dough. Cover it and leave it standing in a warm place for 20 minutes. Add the grains and work it through very well, making it into a round ball then leave standing for another 20 minutes. Work it through again very well. Create a round loaf. Score it with a knife a few times on the top. Lightly sprinkle it with water, sprinkle some more seeds on top of it and leave it in a warm place for another 15 minutes. Heat the oven to 200 C (about 390 degrees F). Bake on a metal sheet covered with baking paper for 40 minutes in the middle of the oven. When you knock on it with your fingers it should sound empty.
This is a very typical German bread that you would find in almost any bakery. 250g white flour type 550 (all-purpose)
(about 2 ⅛ cups) Mix both flours with the dry sourdough. Add ground allspice, coriander, and cumin seeds and the salt. Mix dry yeast with the sugar. Add about half a cup of slightly warm water into the yeast-mixture until it dissolves. Add yeast mixture to the sourdough mixture and work it through. While working the dough, add the rest of the water until the dough loosens away from the sides of the bowl. Work the dough for 20 minutes until it is soft and even. Leave the dough standing for 30 minutes in a warm place. Then work it through again quickly. Make it into a ball, cover it with a cloth, and put it into a preheated oven at 50 degrees Celsius (about 120 degrees F) and leave it to rise for 40 min. Next, take it out, sprinkle with a little water and place it on a sheet covered with baking paper. Preheat oven to 250C (about 480 degrees F). Place the bread on the second row from the bottom of the oven. Place a pan with some water in the oven so that steam can develop. Close the oven door immediately. After 10 minutes drop the temperature to 190 degrees C (about 375 degrees F) and bake for another 20-25min. Knock on the bread with your fingers; it is done when it sounds hollow. Take it out and cover it with white flour. Let it cool. Rye Sour Dough (recipe courtesy of Iris at http://home.pages.at/creativecorner) In a bowl mix about 100g / 3 ⅓ oz whole grain rye flour with water until a thick pulp results. Cover the bowl with a dish cloth and let stand in a warm place for the next 24 hours. Then add again about 100g / 3 ⅓ oz whole grain rye flour and the appropriate amount of water to get the same thick pulp. Cover and let stand the next 24 hours as you did before. Repeat this procedure for the next 3-4 days until the sour dough smells 'ready'. The sour dough is ready if: - It smells sour, but not bad. If it
smells 'stinky' the sour dough went bad. Before starting your bread, take a portion of the sour dough aside and use as a starter for your next sour dough. Mix again with flour and water and act upon instructions. Using ready sour dough as a starter will save you time. Essential Information: The metric to US approximations were made through www.gourmetsleuth.com. Rateitschak Baeckerei & Konditorei Bauernbrot, Koerner-Buttermilch-Brot, and Schwarzbrot photos came from www.marions-kochbuch.com |
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TM
There are
at least 300 different types of bread produced in Germany. Although white breads
are abundantly available, most breads tend to be wholegrain, made of rye or
wheat flours or a combination of the two. Wheat flour, which has higher levels
of gluten, gives a lighter texture and a nicer crust to the loaf than the
heavier Rye flour. Seeds and whole grains (such as oat, spelt, linseed,
sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.) as well as vegetables (carrots and
potatoes for example) also add flavor and texture. In addition, there are many
regional variations and specialty breads. In fact, one of the world’s most
popular snacks is a specialty of Southern Germany. You guessed it … the pretzel.
Most Americans are also familiar with pumpernickel, a dark, slightly sweet bread
which is slow baked in a steam filled oven. 
Technical
skills, as well as the love of the occupation, have been handed down through the
generations in Thomas’s family. Proudly, Thomas carries on the family business
and tradition to this day. Although the bakery is now full of machinery that
would boggle the mind of his great-grand father, rolls are still baked with
Oskar Rateitschak’s original recipe. Many different varieties of bread, rolls,
cookies and cakes are offered daily. There are also seasonal fruit cakes and
Weihnachts (Christmas), Ostergebäck (Easter cake), Naschwerk, and special cakes
for weddings and birthdays. They even offer a natural diabetic product line,
which was created by Thomas’s father. 
So, what is it that makes German bread
so special? Thomas explained that sourdough starter is the main basis for all
traditional German breads. Not only does it impart a particular taste, it also
serves to make the bread puffier, moister, and it acts as a natural preservative
so that the bread lasts longer. This is not just sourdough as those of us living
near San Francisco know it. Thomas worked on a cruise ship full of Americans, so
when I asked him the difference between American sourdough and the stuff he was
talking about, he knew right off what I was thinking. He told me that there is a
different type of sourdough that is used in white breads. There are also
different kinds of sourdough for different dark breads. You will definitely
still detect that special tangy sourness. Different sourdoughs also require
different rising times. The longer you play with the dough, the milder the
bread. Some breads are finished in 3 or 4 hours, others take up to 10 or even 20
hours. He also said that wheat beer (another of my German favorites) gives the
bread more elasticity.
Farmer’s Bread (Bauernbrot)