Germany: kleine Brötchen backen

 'Kleine Brötchen Backen' meaning 'baking little rolls.'

Although the history of breads go all the way back to over 5,000 years ago, German breads have been around since the middle ages and since then, they have evolved on a great scale. According to an article written in February 2021 which talked about a German survey, said that there are officially 3,200 varieties of breads and  rolls like Sonnemblumenbrot and Driekonbrot . It was also added to UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage earlier in the same year.  Germans do not usually prepare their breads with refined white flour but with mixing different grains and with more nutritious flours that make the bread rich and are also packed with vitamins and minerals. Although it is harder to chew, German breads are good for teeth and digestion.

It is said that whole grain bread has been in Germany since the fifth century. In the nineteenth century when the production of white bread was industrialized, this bread did not sit well with the Germans, they demanded for their unrefined breads back. German breads are usually made with unrefined rye or roggenbrot. Dense, coarse textured and sharp breads are of utmost importance to Germans and baking with flours like rye give the exact result desired. The wide range of breads is available and baked throughout Germany is because of its climatic conditions, which allows numerous kinds of grain to be cultivated there. 

Some of the popular breads found in Germany are Milchbröten, Pumpernickel, Fünf-Korn-Brot, Katenbrot, Vollkornbrot, Schneckenkuchen, etc.

Although baked products, especially breads are intensely popular and staple throughout Germany, it has faced a decline in bakeries in the last 20 to 30 years. The bakeries have decreased from 55,000 in 1955 to 12,500 in 2015, to 9,201 in 2021. Bakers like Fritz Trefzger, who have been baking for most of their lives, started reaching out to young adults to help continue the art and craft of making these hearty German breads, but he has not succeeded much. A decline of more than a third was seen in the number of people wanting to train to become bakers in 2013. 

In an article written in 2015 by Didiam Talli for Vice, local German baker, Petra Wiedemann, who has been running a bakery for more than 30 years, talked about how difficult it has been, getting young adults interested in training as bakers. Being a baker requires grueling hours of work which does not accommodate a lifestyle of going out and about, which the young crowd disagrees with. 

In Germany, where the process of breadmaking is taken extremely seriously, the art of breadmaking is passed down from one generation to another, as tradition. 

Pretzels

In a nutshell, Germany has a wide varieties of breads and rolls which keep increasing. Germans prepare these breads and artisan breads with several grains like Rye, Whole grains, sunflower seeds, white flour, and much more. German bakeries have been declining at a rapid rate and the tradition of baking beautiful artisanal breads doesn't seem to fascinate young adults anymore because of the physical commitments being a baker requires. Local bakers, who have been running their bakeries and have been baking since years are scared, since once they retire, their bakeries will shut down forever. Programs for young adults have been started to get more young people to train in baking and continue preparing

some of the best breads of the world.

Terms:

• Sonnemblumenbrot: Sunflower seed bread, sweet in taste and usually enjoyed with jam.
• Dreikornbrot: Prepared with 3 grains - rye, oats and wheat. It is eaten at breakfast with cheese and/or cold cuts.
• Milchbröten: This bread is popular among children. The bread is soft and fluffy due to the milk that is added right before baking. Nuts, raisins and chocolate chips may also be added.
• Pumpernickel: One of the most popular breads that is prepared with dark rye. It is baked at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. Can be served with salmon and caviar.
• Fünf-Korn-Brot: This bread is prepared with five grains - wheat, barley, rye, oats and maize. 
• Katenbrot: 'Barn bread', it is a bread from the tradtional Northern Germany. Enjoyed with cold cuts and cheese, it is dark brown in colour and has a strong taste.
• Vollkornbrot: Sprinkled with sesame seeds, poppy seeds or pumpkin seeds, this a very healthy bread prepared with whole grain.
• Schneckenkuchen: Literally translates to 'snail cake.' This bread has a brioche-like dough that is filled with fillings like vanilla-flavored custard, cinnamon butter, fruits and raisins, poppy seeds and marzipan. It's finished off by a powdered sugar glaze. 

Photos are not mine, credits to the respective owners.

Copyrights to Tanya Kumar, 2021.