Sandy <sandykrause@comcast.net> asked for German "little breads".
I often think that people are very strongly tied to the breads of their
youth. It's just the way we're wired.
I think the breakfast bread she is looking for is "brotchen" or "little
breads". They are a fairly hard roll with a soft crumb. If you have a
Spanish or Mexican bakery in your area, bollilos are a good
substitute. (I'm sure I misspelled bollilos... apologies to any Spanish
speakers in the audience.)
I haven't tried the recipe below, so I'd appreciate any feedback.... it's
been in my "one of these days" pile for a while now... long enough that I
have forgotten where I stole it from. Also... the best time to eat
brotchen is when they are fresh. I'd suggest baking some about 80% of the
way, freezing them, and then heating them and finishing baking just before
breakfast. A well made brotchen is a very versatile roll... with jams for
breakfast, with cold meat and cheese for lunch, perhaps even with a
fleishsalat (or a German "meat salad" based on beef or fish).
(more follows the recipe)
-Begin Recipe Export- QBook version 1.00.14
Title: Brotchen
Keywords: German, rolls, breakfast, bread
Ingredients:
1 pk. dry active yeast
2 tsp sugar
3 cups bread flour (divided)
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 tbs corn oil (not Crisco!)
1 cup warm water
Method:
Combine yeast, salt and 2 1/2 cups flour. Mix on low speed in Kitchen Aid
with flat hook until blended. Then slowly add the corn oil and finally the
sugar dissolved in the warm water. Continue stirring for 2-3 minutes.
Change to a dough hook and knead for 7 minutes, adding remaining flour
during the first 4 minures. Adjust with flour or water to achieve an
elastic mix (falls off the hook when just right). Place dough in an oiled
bowl and let rise until doubled. Punch down and let rise for 15-20 minues more.
Divide into 10-12 round portions on a greased cookie sheet. Allow to rise
until doubled. Place in a 375 F. preheated oven and bake until golden brown
(about 30 minutes).
For additional crispness it helps to spray the rolls periodically with a
fine mist of water. The rolls are finished when they sound hollow when
tapped. Like many Germans I remove some of the inner dough after I cut them
open since I much prefer the crusty exterior when making a sandwich.
(Note from Mike - these should be oblong, with a slashed top right down the
center of the oblong.)
-End Recipe Export- From the kitchen of Mike Avery
(mavery@mail.otherwhen.com)
On the black bread front, that can be any of a number of breads. A very
good (the BEST imho) site for information about genuiune pumpernickel is at
http://samartha.net/SD/index.html - look at his pumpernickel information.
He's a bit of a purist. Also, you might check your local library and look
for a copy of Beatrice Ojakangas' "Great Whole Grain Breads" book. She has
a number of German, Finnish, and other Eurpopean recipes that are quite good.
I have a recipe for a nice sourdough rye at
http://www.sourdoughhome.html/bohemianrye.html that I like a lot. Below is
a conventional recipe that, once again, I haven't tried.
-Begin Recipe Export- QBook version 1.00.14
Title: Roggenbrot (Rye Bread)
Keywords: German, Breads
Servings: 12
2 pk Yeast; Active Dry
1/2 c Warm Water(110-120 degrees)
1 1/2 c Milk; Lukewarm
2 T Sugar
1 t Salt
1/2 c Molasses
2 T Butter
3 1/4 c Rye Flour; Unsifted
2 1/2 c Bread Flour; Unsifted
Dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl combine milk, sugar, and
salt. Use a mixer to beat in molasses, butter, yeast mixture and 1 cup of
rye flour. Use a wooden spoon to mix in the remaining rye flour. Add
white flour by stirring until the dough is stiff enough to knead. Knead 5
to 10 minutes, adding flour as needed. If the dough sticks to your hands
or the board add more flour. Cover dough and let rise 1 to 1 1/2 hours or
until double. Punch down dough and divide to form 2 round loaves. Let
loaves rise on a greased baking sheet until double, about 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 F. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
Makes 2 round loaves.
-End Recipe Export- From the kitchen of Mike Avery
(mavery@mail.otherwhen.com)
And a final offering... onion bread, or zweibelbrot. Depending on the part
of Germany she is from, she might like this.... again, I haven't tied
this... it's on my list...
Onion Rye Bread
2 cups milk
1/4 cups sugar
4 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup salad oil
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
6 cups sifted Stone-Buhr all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons caraway seeds
1 cup chopped onions
2 1/2 cups unsifted Stone-Buhr rye flour, approximately
1/4 cup Stone-Buhr cornmeal
2 tablespoons cream
Scald milk and add sugar, salt and oil. Cool mixture to lukewarm. Soften
the yeast in water and add to the milk mixture. Add white flour and mix
well. Stir in caraway seeds, onion and 2 cups rye flour and mix. Turn
onto surface sprinkled with remaining 1/2 cup rye flour and knead until
smooth and elastic, adding enough rye flour to give a fairly stiff
dough. Place in a greased bowl, grease top, cover with a towel and let
stand in a warm place until double in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch down,
cover, and let rise again until double in bulk.
Grease 3 9x5 inch loaf pans and sprinkle with cornmeal. Divide the dough
into 1/3's, shape the loaves and place in pans. Brush the tops with cream
and sprinkle with salt. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place
until double in bulk, about 1 hour. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour or until
loaves have a hollow sound when tapped. Turn out on rack to cool. Makes 3
loaves.
Good luck,
Mike
--
Mike Avery
MAvery@mail.otherwhen.com