Baking in Germany – what you knead to know

There’s nothing like a taste of home to heal your Heimweh – but if you’re new to baking in Germany, there are a few things you knead to know (oh yes we did)! Following your recipes to a T won’t always produce the same result as back home. It may take some trial and error, but with these tips for baking in Germany, you’ll bake a masterpiece in no time!

 

US vs. Metric System

If you haven’t already converted to the metric system, do it. Weighing your ingredients is more accurate than scooping cups. Pro Tip – when trying a recipe for the first time, measure out your ingredients as you normally would AND weigh on a scale. Note the amount in grams on your recipe card and you’re all set for the next time. Personally, for smaller amounts, measuring spoons still win out in my kitchen. Otherwise, weighing is the best AND makes for less washing up. Oven temperatures are also annoying to look up every time (ed: Kathleen has just informed me that the most common question she asks Siri is either “What’s 375 Fahrenheit in Celsius?” or “Which gas mark is 180 degrees?”) Write them on your recipe or just print a handy chart like this and tape it inside your spice cabinet door. Piece of cake!

Ingredients that make it or break it

For some ingredients, it’s just a matter of knowing the German name. For others, they’re either non-existent or different enough to mess up your end result.

Butter

It took 9 years – NINE YEARS – for someone to tell me that butter in Germany wasn’t the same as butter in the US. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what I was doing wrong. Turns out, the fat content in butter is different. European butter has a higher percentage of butter fat. Brands such as Kerry Gold have 82%, most similar to the US, but you may still need to adjust amounts. Good luck!

Crisco

If you’re a pie maker and prefer a crisco crust, try using vegan butter. You don’t need to mess around with ratios and it gives a great flavor as well. If you prefer a butter crust, try these ratios.

Brown Sugar

If your recipe calls for brown sugar, the kind with the consistency of wet sand, you have two options. You either order it (€), import it from a neighbouring country (Kathleen gets her annual supply on her summer vacation in Denmark) or you make it. I always opt for making it – you just need granulated sugar and Melasse/ Zuckerrübensirup. Zückerrrübensirup is not exactly the same as molasses [Melasse], but it does the trick. Just mix the syrup with the sugar until you get the desired color. It takes a bit of mixing and mashing, but you can easily make a bunch and store it.

Self-Raising Flour

Among the many types of flours in a German supermarket baking aisle, you won’t find self-raising. Katie swears to us you can find it in Asian supermarkets! Hurray! In a pinch, you can still make it yourself adding 2 teaspoons of baking powder for every 150g of flour.

Call me by my German name…

Eventually, you’ll know everything by heart. But for now, here’s a reference:

Vanilla extract vs. vanilla paste vs. vanilla sugar

• • Vanile-Extrakt – this is hard to find and I haven’t yet tested the quality. Kathleen asks visitors from Australia to bring a bottle with her when they visit Germany. You can also make your own with vanilla beans and vodka – also makes for nice gifts!
  • Vanillepaste – if you cut a vanilla bean in half and scrape out the insides, that’s vanilla paste. 1 tsp is like 2 tsp of vanilla extract. You can buy the beans to scrape or the paste in tubes.
  • Vanillinzucker/Vanillezucker – this is just vanilla-flavoured sugar. If you use it as a substitute it’s going to add sweetness.

Sugar – how fine do you want it?

• • Feinster Zucker = caster sugar 
  • Feiner Zucker = granulated sugar
  • Puderzucker = powdered sugar aka icing sugar (easy!)

Baking Soda vs. Baking Powder

• • Natron = Bicarb./Baking SODA – look for the lady in green on the pack. You can find it even in dm or an Apotheke.
  • Backpulver – backing powder (easy!)

Happy Baking!

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