This week I’m making a nostalgic food, one that always reminds me of our time in Germany. We spent five years living there while Jonathan worked on his doctorate. We lived in a quaint university town in southern Germany for half of that time, then moved to Berlin for the remainder of those years. In both places there were bakeries (yes, plural) just around the corner from our apartment. Saturday mornings would often find us on a walk to one of the local bakeries to enjoy a delicious German breakfast of fresh rolls, meats and cheeses, jams and Nutella. We would sit and watch the world go by as we leisurely ate roll after roll. *sigh* Pretzels were also ubiquitous at every bakery. The southern Germans made them softer, somehow, than the Berliners, and sliced and smeared them with good butter. I would often pick one up as I biked into work, savoring it for a snack later in the day.
Those days may be behind us, but I’m bringing the taste and scents of those bakeries to Hillsdale this week. Soft sourdough German-style pretzels are the bake of the week. I make them in the traditional way, with long fermentation and a dip in a lye bath before sprinkling with pretzel salt and baking. These are really best on the day they’re made, but could also be frozen to enjoy later, if they even make it home!
Always available is my house sourdough loaf. I’m still using triticale in the grain mix and have also added back in red wheat, white wheat, and spelt. It’s a great combination and the loaves are full of fiber and nutrients, both from the freshly milled flour and the long, slow fermentation I use with all my sourdough breads.
Sourdough soft pretzels and house loaves are available to order now until Tuesday, or until sold out. Orders can be picked up on Thursday, October 10th either at Hillsdale College (Kendall 413) or at my home in Hillsdale. Please indicate your pickup location when you order.
Payment is by cash, check, and cashapp when you pick up, or by credit card when you order. If you are paying by cash, please note that there is not always someone available to make change for your order!