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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FAQs
But imagine my surprise when I found out (and was validated by many other confused expats on online message boards) that Backpulver is actually a more subtle, less strong version of the kind Americans use. Germans use single-acting baking powder, and Americans (and the British) use double-acting baking powder.
What is all purpose flour in Germany for baking? ›
Germany's Flour Type 550 is equivalent to all-purpose flour. All-purpose flour is made from a blend of hard and soft wheats and has a gluten content of 9-11%. It can be bleached or unbleached, which are interchangeable (bleached flour is whiter and has less vitamin E than unbleached flour).
What is the best flour for cookies in Germany? ›
Type 405 / Pastry Flour
Because of its low gluten content, it is best used for baked goods that should have a soft, tender consistency yet still need some structure, such as muffins, cakes, cookies, biscuits, pie crust, and many pastries.
What number is cake flour in Germany? ›
For cakes, you could also use type 405 flour. In my experience both have the same gluten content and it doesn't make much of a difference. Type 550 flour just has some more nutrients.
What do Germans use instead of baking soda? ›
Despite its ubiquity in the United States and other countries, in Germany, it's not a typical kitchen staple. Traditional German baking often relies on other leavening agents like baking powder, known as "Backpulver," or fresh yeast, "Frische Hefe," which are more commonly used in recipes.
What is confectioners sugar called in Germany? ›
Powdered sugar (also called confectioner's sugar or icing sugar) is called Puderzucker or Staubzucker.
What is 00 flour equivalent to in Germany? ›
Tipo 00 flour from Italy is equivalent to type 550 white flour in Germany or Switzerland. The degree of grinding and ash content are very similar.In Italy, only other type designations are used. The perfect pizza dough is made when the protein content in the flour is approx. 12-13% and the starch content is approx.
What is caster sugar in Germany? ›
Types of Sugars
| Product | Substitute /German Name |
|---|
| Castor Sugar / Strooi suiker | der Streuzucker or Feinster Backzucker. |
| Icing Sugar / versiersuiker | der Puderzucker |
| Preserving sugar | Gelierzucker |
| Canning sugar | Einmachzucker |
5 more rowsSelf-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.
What flour do professional bakers use? ›
While bread flour is more than adequate for everyday breads, some professional bakers use high-gluten flour with a 14% protein content to provide extra strength to dense, chewy doughs like bagels and pizza dough. High-gluten bread flour gives milk bread it's taut structure and compact (but tender) crumb.
1 Lebkuchen: Germany's Favorite
We've come to the most popular German biscuit – Lebkuchen or known as gingerbread (“Lebkuchen” in English is “gingerbread”).
What kind of pizza flour is used in Germany? ›
For pizza dough, we often want a balance between nutrition and light, airy texture. Type 405 (8-10% protein): This is the German equivalent of American pastry flour and the closest to Italian “00” flour. It is the most refined flour, with the least amount of bran and germ, resulting in a lower ash content.
Is there a difference between flour in US and Europe? ›
Since most flour in America comes from hard, red wheat, and 70–80% of it is winter wheat, American flour is typically much stronger than European flour, with much higher levels of protein (i.e. gluten).
What is T45 flour in Germany? ›
T45 is a very soft plain flour, normally used for cakes and pastry where you don't want the gluten to make them tough.
What is Type 1050 flour Germany? ›
Our unbleached German Wheat flour, Type 1050, is a high gluten white flour made from hard wheat and contains at least 13-14.5% gluten. It is best used in conjunction with other grains and flour to provide more structure. It is also good for breads that are extra elastic such as bagels and pizza.
Can I use Backpulver instead of baking powder? ›
German “Backpulver” is not the same as baking powder! It looks the same and is used for the same purpose, but it's not as strong. It took me years to figure this out! If using a British recipe with German baking powder, use about 1.5 to 2 times the amount.
Is Backpulver the same as baking soda? ›
In fact 'baking soda' is not 'backpulver' (which translates to 'baking powder', and it is exactly 'bicarbonate (de sodium)' as J. Claude suggests. Both 'baking soda' and 'baking powder' are used in baking, but they are used differently (and if recipe says 'baking soda', that's what you want to use).
Is bak8ng soda the same as baking powder? ›
Baking soda and baking powder are not the same. Sodium bicarbonate and bicarbonate of soda are other names for baking soda. Baking powder is made of baking soda plus cream of tartar and cornstarch. Baking powder can be substituted for baking soda by tripling the amount of baking powder.
What is a substitute for German schmand? ›
American sour cream is made the same way as Schmand and works well as a substitute. Starch. Most German baking recipes that call for starch mean cornstarch.
