Why is German bread so special?! [TOP questions answered]

German bread is a big part of German culture. We answer all of your TOP questions regarding this national deliciousness!
The Bread Code KZbin Channel 🍞
👉 / thebreadcode
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⏰ Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:32 - Why is German bread so special?
02:23 - Is there a purity law for German bread?
03:27 - How to store bread so it does not mold?
04:50 - How to use the machine for cutting bread?
06:25 - Is it normal that sliced bread from the supermarket is dry?
06:57 - Which kind of German bread can I drink with my tea?
07:23 - What types of German bread for vegans?
08:43 - Are Germans keen on baking their own bread?
09:22 - How to identify bread that needs to be baked?
10:39 - Where do you find the best bread?
11:55 - What are the best types of fresh bread?
12:20 - What are a few generic types of bread and their quality?
13:08 - Does acceptable German white bread exist?
13:43 - Is sourdough commonly found?
14:17 - Rapid fire questions
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We know how frustrating and painful it might be to move to a new country, especially if you don't fully speak the language. That's why we created Simple Germany.
Simple Germany provides tips & information in English about living in Germany as an expat. We talk about services that are friendly and easy to use to beat German bureaucracy. We also cover the cultural aspects of living in Germany. All of this brought to you from the eyes of an expat and a German duo. We want to help you settle in Germany more smoothly.🍻
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#expats #germany #expatsingermany #lifeingermany #expattips

[@the_bread_code]

Thank you for featuring me! I had a blast. Hope you all learned something new on bread!

[@simplegermany]

Super happy to have you! Thanks for sharing your knowledge 😁

[@mickeymuppet]

Yvonne's success face at 4:27 is the perfect example of what makes this channel (and some germans) so sweet. Since I first discovered it, I have loved this channel and cannot recommend it enough!

[@gabriellebluemarine4463]

I would have sworn there is no 'Backmeister' but 'Baecker' or 'Baeckermeister'....but I was wrong. Also, I believe most Germans that are living abroad, myself included, would say that bread is one of the foods they're missing most.

[@emilwandel]

Yes it is Bäcker usally earned after a Lehre with the Gesellenbrief. Afterwards you can gain a meisterbrief which is equivalent to a bachelors degree.

[@Voronochka262]

Have you heard of the Museum of Bread Culture in Ulm?

[@simplegermany]

Oh, no we have not! We’ll make sure to check it out next time we’re there 🙂

[@metin3289]

Der Kanten= The best part of a bread. I would buy a bag fill up with just that.

[@theawolf2478]

Since some love the Kanten and others can't stand it some bakeries sell packages only/mostly with Kanten and packages without them

[@frankberger-zr1mu]

Hello, Iam a german baker. "Aufbackbrot" can´t expand in the oven, because the yeast is dead. Otherwise it would be rise up in the Packaging and spoil ((?) verderben) the bread. You can only change the colour with the heat of the oven and therefore the taste, because the more you have crust (Kruste) the more you have taste (roasted aromas=Röstaromen).

[@Gandhilgvg]

I am in new delhi now and miss the amazing German healthy grains bread i used to buy from Penny…

[@suzannes5888]

Over on Passport for Two's YT channel (in their Community Tab) they're asking their viewers for their favorite foreigners with YT channels about Germany - Jen and you ladies' channel have the most votes! 😊 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩

[@simplegermany]

Super cool! Thanks for the shoutout! 😊

[@fannychristozova8158]

Oh, thanks for saying that! Went and gave some too! Yep, your comment has the most votes - 12 with mine now. And the guys of Passport for Two are already subscribed to SG, I checked. 😜 Next time they should include the pic in that gif for the post..

[@suzannes5888]

@@simplegermany Of course! I just mentioned you - because your work deserves it, and you're clearly good people. Fanny then commented too... and many others agreed! (It was a Simple Germany team effort! 😊) Keep up the good work - and congrats on almost being at 15K, that's awesome!! 👏

[@gilliantracy7991]

Great vid. Looking forward to my trip to Germany to try the bread! Thanks for sharing!

[@jensen7875]

baking bread is so simple, if you are once into it... even with your own sourdough.

[@maxproximus2163]

Another wonderful yet informative video from you Jen and Yvonne!! Appreciate your time, efforts and resources. I also would like to thank Hendrich from the Bread Code. Thank you.

[@suzannes5888]

I agree... and I liked their special guest!! 🍞🧑‍🍳

[@Al69BfR]

When I was a kid, my grandma had a manual bread cutting „machine“. And I was always tempted to play with it when nobody was watching. 😊 Also my grandma was big into backing her own bread. When I was older for some period I had a bread baking machine, that would make a fresh loaf of bread in the morning with the ingredients that you put into it the night before. That was really nice and comfortable compared to the breads my grandma was baking in her oven. But in general in some or many villages there is a baking house (Backhaus) in the center of the village that gets traditionally fired up once or twice a year to bake bread for everyone who‘s ordered some. And sometimes there is a little party (Backhausfest) after the baking is done to „celebrate“ the fresh and tasty bread. Or just because everyone likes to have a party as an excuse to drink beer more than on any other normal day.

[@simplegermany]

😂 and did you?

[@Al69BfR]

@@simplegermany Actually I did, when I was old enough to reach over the counter where the machine was stored. But my parents did a good job in making me aware of the dangers of cutting blades and knifes. So most of the time I was just turning the crank and watched the blade rotating.

[@RustyDust101]

That tradition of the Backhaus was kept alive until the mid 1980's in the village I grew up in. It was much easier to have one large, well fired oven that stored the heat better thanks to more massive construction than one individual wood fired oven per house to bake breads. They also had a shared stock of sourdough from the 17-hundreds that was always fed for the next week. As was tradition it was always the older women of the farmer's families that fired up the oven and baked the bread every Wednesday in the village Backhaus. It was *ALWAYS* a sourdough bread. The tradition also was to leave the freshly baked bread in the basement of the farm-houses in a cool, dark spot for at least 14 days before serving it first. Why they did that I could not say for certain, but some claimed that it made the bread more palatable. Now sadly both the Backhaus tradition as well as that centuries old sourdough has died. It really is a shame.

[@Al69BfR]

@@RustyDust101 That‘s sad to hear. It always takes someone or a group of people to hold up those old traditions or revive them once they got lost.

[@RustyDust101]

So nice to see another of your videos. So informative and well researched. Thanks to Hendrick for sharing his knowledge as well. How about a collab with Jenna from the channels "Life in Düsseldorf" or "Life in Germany"? You three would have an awesome chemistry, I suppose.

[@jkb2016]

0:06: beer is basically liquid bread ("Fünf Bier sind eine Mahlzeit!", demnach Sixpack = Menü; Kasten = Festmahl)

[@EHonda-ds6ve]

"der Kanten", we call in here "Knust"

[@karinland8533]

Bei uns heißt es Scherzel

[@stephanteuscher6583]

Very well researched as always! I too like the bread fresh from a good bakery in general. But talking about Lidl: if you are into Ciabatta - Lidl has an amazing Ciabatta bread. Very few bakeries can compete with that. But you know: best if eaten immediately.

[@lphaetaamma291]

The "Kanten" has a lot of names I know it as "Brotende" (=bread end)

[@flocore1]

There's even a wikipedia page about its many names

[@maikind950]

True. Scherzal 💜

[@reinhard8053]

To the bread slicing machine: there are different constructions and especially ways to get it into action. Mine has a very different switch. So be sure to read the instructions or let somebody show it to you.

[@n1vca]

Thanks, great summarization, per usual ... one hint when baking (heating) the pre-baked rolls, they come out of the oven super hot and dry on the outside and super moist on the inside, which isn't the most enjoyable state. When you take them out of the oven, just wrap them in a kitchen towel for 5 or 10 minutes and you don't burn your mouth and they have the perfect crunchy consistency, because the super moist inside catches up with the humidity deprived outer part and instead of just drying out in open air, the towel keeps it from doing that but just the right amount of crispness will remain. Give it a try, it is a very simple step that makes it much more enjoyable. Every "role-Nazi" will confirm that 🤣.

[@simplegermany]

Thanks for the tip 😉

[@evileyelash8094]

I find all the German baked goods very interesting, they seem like a serious craft or significant artform that people who are interested in cuisine would love to be aware of. There is a bread museum in Berlin "Die Alte Bäckerei in Pankow" as well as other bread museums in different German cities that I would still like to visit. Fantastic video!

[@chaitralipanchal6530]

Love all of your videos! I feel overwhelmed at the supermarket, not only with the great variety of bread and cheeses and liquor but also for all grocery items in general. As someone who has newly moved student to Germany, and is also (trying to) eat healthily, I would love to see videos on how you choose healthier options. As a student, my main diversion is the tempting frozen options, but I have noticed they aren't healthy ALWAYS (of course!). So some video along the lines of 'eating healthy (yet tasty) foods in Germany' would be super helpful for me!

[@simplegermany]

To cook your own healthy meals you just need a bit of planning, time and trial and error. You can always use apps as inspiration. We have used one called Kitchen Stories. They have some really yummy healthy meals, tells you what to buy and easy step by step instructions on how to cook the meals. So try a few recipes and see what you like and don’t like and take it from there 😊

[@PalmyraSchwarz]

Uahh, Yvonne doesn't like Knäppchen? When the bread is fresh, that's the best thing about bread, which I always eat first with cream cheese. You've put a lot of effort into this topic, which is why I think you're one of the best expat channels for Germany.

[@RustyDust101]

Den trockenen Kanten vom Vortag zerbröseln und in einen deftigen Eintopf geben. Aufsaugen lassen. Leeeeeecker! 🥰 Take the dry end-piece cut off the day before, break it apart and throw into a hearty stew or soup. Let it soak up the liquid. Yuuuuuummy! 🥰

[@joannunemaker6332]

I love your videos. I also love German bread. I miss visiting Germany. Hopefully, I will be able to visit in the near future.

[@tantefee3968]

moin moin ,,, thanks for the nice video ... the two ends of the bread are called "knust" in northern germany - the first one you cut is the "lachknust" (referring to laughing to be able to eat fresh bread) and the final end is sometimes called "brummknust" (referring to growling when you have to eat old/dry bread)- after the examination at the end of the apprenticeship you may call yourself bäcker or bäckergeselle ... after some years of experience and further training/final tests you may call yourself a bäckermeister and are allowed to train apprentices /Auszubildende yourself an run an own shop.

[@darkredvan]

„Kanten“ = bei uns: „Krüstchen“ von Kruste.

[@07U]

Hi Jen and Yvonne! Thank you so much for your content - the information, but also the presentation! I am here in Germany (Frankfurt am Main) for 1.5 months now, and I am afraid to say that I highly disagree with this video 😛 I was looking *everywhere* for a good Vollkornbrot. Despite their nutritional superiority and taste (at least in my opinion, due to their reach content grain content), they are not common in German bakeries (and more so in supermarkets) :( Unfortunately, in the bakeries it can be found in, it is not that great, to be honest. I don't say you lie when you get really exited by the German bread, of course 🙂I think that you never had the chance to live in a place with REALLY great bread. And lets face it - bread is awesome anytime! I eat the bread here and I still enjoy. However, it doesn't compare to the good type of bread I am used to in my home country bakeries - not to mention the variety. With that said, maybe my opinion is also a subjective one, and there will never be a clear "winner" 😅 I was super excited while watching this video before I was moving to Germany, but now I find that this is not a fact... I do not come from France, but nobody can argue against a French baguette - that is a fact! 😄 Anyways, if you ever arrange a group meeting, I would love if you can prove me wrong! Until then, tschüss!

[@tantefee3968]

by the way: a lot of germans like to bake bread themselves and invent their own recipes like curry bread with roasted onions or bananabread with walnut or pizzabread with tomatoe paste, parmesan and olives ...

[@rickyn1135]

My Mom & Grandma always made our bread & rolls from scratched(made at home). I’d love to come to Germany and eat all types of German bread for a month. Yummy.

[@simplegermany]

I’m sure you’ll have more than enough variety to try all kinds of bread in a month! 😜

[@RustyDust101]

@@simplegermany Yepp, try three types each per meal, eat bread for each meal, and you're through barely 10% of all breads and bread-roll types available in Germany. But don't believe that every bakery offers all 3200+ varieties. Many, if not most of them are very localized varieties available only in one or two bakeries.

[@fannychristozova8158]

So nice! As always I had a lot of fun and learned a great deal! Now I realize how much of 'thieves' so many countries are. 😅 Thing is our versions of German-like bread are just not so successful. It looks like it, it has the same form, but it really isn't so tasty. 🙂 Thank you for answering my questions, as well as so many curious things I'd seen in those comments!! My uncle, I think for over 10 years now never buys bread, only bakes it himself and in smaller towns in Bulgaria it's not that uncommon, so that's why I was wondering. Also great of you to demonstrate the cutting machine. I think I'm seeing it for the second time now, and in your older video I almost got scared of it. 😂 The 'purity law' is definitely working, I've never in my life had better tasting bread than what I ate in Hildesheim, Berlin and Munich! 🥰

[@simplegermany]

Thanks for sharing Fanny! When you're in Germany you maybe do your own German bread at home! And yes...German bread just tastes so good ☺️

[@rickyn1135]

I knew the Flours had to be a huge part of German bread. Yummy

[@schnaeutz4546]

Why using a bread slicer, a good bread knife is enough and your fingers are not in danger.

[@MHahn-bg7cu]

Verry well done. (try Pumpernickel mit Nutella !)

[@hashimoto00]

6:57 I think there is a problem with this question 🤣🤣

[@mariakupper1029]

Brot! 🥰 Real bread is the thing I miss most in the US.

[@RustyDust101]

Yeah, you step into the bread aisle in a US grocery store and always wonder why Wonderbread is not sold in the tools aisle. Under silly-putty for windows. Cause that's basically its texture and taste.

[@mariakupper1029]

@@RustyDust101 I actually found a Rustic Prussian Rye sourdough at one of my local Whole Foods. It’s the closest thing to actual good bread I can find - unless I bake myself 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@Cintillo]

This is a very important video for me, even tho my doctor told me I need to forget about bread 😂 now I have a forbidden love

[@simplegermany]

Awwww sorry to read you won’t be able to enjoy German bread! There are plenty of other nice things to try, though 😊

[@Cintillo]

@@simplegermany I’m a lawyer with my doctors 😂 we’ll see what the settlement will me, bread once a week or 15 days And like always, thanks so much about the info you share.

[@Stein0001]

wir haben eine brotschneidemaschine mit einer kurbel, die haben wir anfang der 90er gekauft als ich noch ein kind war und ich habe es tatsächlich geschafft mit diesem ding eine stückchen von meinem daumen abzuschneiden. man kann bis heute an der daumenkuppe sehe das da ein kleines stückchen fehlt. ich hatte jahre lang angst die brotschneidemaschine zu benutzen

[@lauricemay5977]

Hi Jen and Yvonne, Please do a vlog about -gym contract in different cities including countryside’s -where to buy cheap training clothes and equipment

[@simplegermany]

Thanks for your suggestion! We will add your idea to our list of possible videos to record. In the meantime, to answer your second question: you can find budget friendly workout clothing and equipment in a shop called Declathon. Hope that helps!

[@YasinNabi]

a worth watching channel, very inspiring and thanks for sharing wonderful videos. Subbed and liked ! a fellow creator..

[@ehemalssimehtt3739]

❤ Simple Germany ❤

[@jhimlyb]

I am moving to Berlin soon and have a gluten & yeaat intolerance. A little sad that I won't be able to partake in the beer and bread culture 😔 I wonder if there are common gluten free options for these?

[@simplegermany]

Yes, you can find gluten free bread options. Beer will be a bit more difficult though 😉

[@jhimlyb]

@@simplegermany Oh thanks so much for responding! Good to know I can enjoy some bread at least 😅🍞

[@ACEsParkJunheeWreckedMeHard]

If you want to find glutenfree bread you can find often stuff in sections of supermarkets that are specificly shelfs for glutenfree food. If you don't find it you can go to a drugstore or to a Reformhaus who most likly also have those. If you are unsure you can still ask the staff in the stores and if either you speak enough German or they enough English they can help you, but especially the bread in drugstores should have lables in multiple languages if I'm not mistaken

[@jhimlyb]

@@ACEsParkJunheeWreckedMeHard Oh thank you for such a detailed response to my question, that gives me lots of options, I appreciate it so much ❤️

[@shantanubrahme5805]

How's it called sourdough bread in Germany? I believe it is an English name I couldn't find it in any bakery.

[@simplegermany]

Sourdough bread would be Sauerteigbrot

[@WardancerHB]

it is called "A Kanten"!? If you want Germans talk about something passionately ask them what the end part of a loaf is called. Von Knust, Knus, Kniest, Knistchen, Kniezchen, Knüppchen, Küppchen oder Knaust spricht man im Nordosten und Nordwesten Deutschlands, aber auch teilweise im Ostmitteldeutschen. Knorz, Knörzje, Knörzel, Knüstchen, Kürschtje, Knapp oder Knäppchen, Knörzchen, Knärzchen, Knetzle, Knerzla oder Köppla verwendet man im Rheinland, in Hessen, Franken und angrenzenden Gebieten. Rand, Ränftchen, Ranft, Ranften, Ranftl, Ränftl, Ränftel, Ränft, Rauft, Rindl, Rumptschn sind Ausdrücke für Kanten im Mittel- und Süddeutschen Raum. In Mittelthüringen sind auch die Begriffe Feeze oder Fietze, in Südthüringen der Küppel bekannt. Knäusle, Knüssle, Mürggel, Riebel, Riebele (auch Brotriebel) sind Ausdrücke, die im schwäbisch-alemannischen Sprachraum gebräuchlich sind. Eine besonders im Bairischen und Österreichischen verbreitete Variante ist das Scherzl oder Scherze(r)l (von italienisch scorza „Rinde“) und betrifft ausschließlich die Endstücke.[4] Im Pfälzischen ist der Begriff Knorze gebräuchlich. Krüstchen sagt man im Limburger Raum, im Hinterland und im Westerwald. In Schwaben hört man für alle Arten von Anschnitt gelegentlich auch den Begriff Giggel.[2] Im Wiener Dialekt kommt Bugl (für Bugel bzw. Buckel[5]) zur Anwendung. -wikipedia.de

[@ACEsParkJunheeWreckedMeHard]

Knäppchen 😠 (Wütender Münsterländer)

[@AP-RSI]

Was? Ihr kauft Brötchen nicht frisch? Buuuhhhl... :-) Meine Frau besteh darauf, dass sie frische Brötchen haben will. Aber... na ja... wir kaufen sie am Vortag (beim Bäcker) und backen sie kurz auf zum Frühstück. ;-)

[@simplegermany]

Na das ist doch fast das gleiche 😉

[@AP-RSI]

@@simplegermany Jain, wie wir Deutschen ja gerne sagen. Ist doch ein Unterschied, ob ich beim Aldi ein paar billige (mini) Brötchen zum Aufbacken hole, oder frische Brötchen vom Bäcker noch mal schnell für 5 Min. bei 100 Grad in den Ofen schiebe. Finde ich zumindest... und vor allem meine Frau! *lach*

[@raimondschaaf1027]

Älteres Brot behält seinen Geschmack, wenn man es kurz in den Toaster steckt. :-)

[@fabioc981]

I didn't know you could drink bread XD

[@simplegermany]

🍻

[@thorz7304]

I store the bread in the microwave. Way better than a plastic bag.

[@simplegermany]

Oh wow, never heard of that!

[@WouldntULikeToKnow.]

Ha! My grandmother used to do that and she was a German living in the US. Is it a German thing?

[@karinland8533]

You can also store it in the oven or in a paper bag in a stailess steel pot. Or in the fridge in there even pre sliced bread stays fresh long

[@Baccatube79]

A "breaf of loaf"? Was that a joke?

[@clinicalpsychologist]

😑

[@mamborambo]

The current China state's mismanagement of cultural heritage has destroyed much of China's true history. Let them not ruin the long heritage of Cantonese!