Kürbiskernbrot is just one of over 3000 types of bread in Germany. That figure speaks to the huge bread culture in Germany. In the small area where I live, there are 5 different bakeries within a few minutes’ walking distance, which coming from the UK, seems like a crazy large number. Eating freshly baked bread is very much the norm here, and you can quite often see lines outside of bakeries on a Sunday where the designated family member trudges out to pick up their morning Brötchen (bread buns). I love it!
Although I love making bread, I haven’t tried many German breads before, precisely because it is so readily available. That, however, means I usually stick to the same order at the bakery, Kürbiskernbrot. It’s about time I branched out to try some of the other 2999 types of bread on offer, so it was time to get baking!
I followed this recipe from Brooot (German only) and loved the simple and clear steps. The recipe from Humbly Homemade looks like a good English-language alternative. It was perfect for a German-bread beginner like me! One reason why I love German bread is because of its diverse flavours. French and Italian bread, whilst insanely good, usually favour white flour, which doesn’t give much depth of flavour. German bread, however, uses a lot of rye or wholemeal, mixed in with the white, and makes for more interesting bread. Kürbiskernbrot has a small portion of rye, which enhances the nutty pumpkin seeds.
The Seeds
I’ve never added seeds or nuts to bread before, so it was surprising to learn that if they go in as they are, they absorb the water from the dough, resulting in a very dry loaf. Instead, you need to soak them in a lot of water before mixing them in the dough. The excess water from the seed-soaking is then used in the main dough, so you get an extra hit of pumpkin seed flavour. This additional step made for one really delicious loaf of bread.
The Kürbiskernbrot is almost as tasty as the one from the bakery! If you’re ever interested in beginner-friendly German bread, I highly recommend this as an introduction. I will absolutely bake this again and again. Now, I can’t wait for my next bakery visit to find a new favourite!
