Vegetable Strudel Recipe (Gemüsestrudel)

Although vegetarian and vegan dishes have become much more common on Austrian restaurant menus, the Gemüsestrudel (vegetable strudel) has traditionally been one of the token veggie dish on many Gasthaus menus. Quite remarkably for Austrian Gemüsestrudel recipes however, these typically come with ham (!). Dairy products (curd cheese, crème fraiche, milk, cheese) are also heavily used … Read more

Dampfnudeln recipe (with steamed apples)

Dampfnudeln are a regular Friday lunchtime dish in my grandmother’s kitchen. Bread buns are placed on a bed of apples and steamed on the hub for about 30 minutes. They are incredibly light and delicious and I wanted to share the Dampfnudeln recipe here on the occasion of this month’s #BreadBakers theme ‘Steamed Buns’. The … Read more

Caraway Seed Bread Recipe (Rye Bread)

I’m sure my Austrian roots have something to do with my slight addiction to the flavour of caraway seeds. In Austrian cuisine, caraway seeds are used abundantly, from flavouring roast pork to enhancing salad dressings. Most notably, Austrian dark breads frequently use caraway seeds as part of the Brotgewürz which is used to flavour the loaves. Caraway seeds are … Read more

Kletzenbrot Recipe – Austrian Christmas Fruit Loaf

My childhood memories of Kletzenbrot, an Austrian Christmas fruit bread, are somewhat limited as I was never a huge fan. The Kletzenbrot (which translates as ‘dried pear bread’) I was typically presented with was always just a little bit too full on for me, too fruit-laden and too overpowering in terms of spices. Kletzenbrot of this kind consists of … Read more

Grünkern (green spelt) bread recipe

Browsing the local delights of the organic grocery store in my home town in Austria, I picked up a bag of Grünkern. The greenish grains looked pretty and unique on the shelf! Grünkern grains are unripe spelt kernels cultivated predominantly in Southern Germany. Although mainly used for soups and vegetarian burgers, I wanted to incorporate some of this unique … Read more

Zwieback crackers recipe

I love crispbreads and tend to make a batch every few weeks. Usually, I bake savoury crispbreads, but I’ve been wanting to make an old childhood favourite of mine, Zwieback crackers, a lightly sweetened crispbread. My mum didn’t bake this herself, but bought an industrial version called Feldbacher Zwieback. It was generally on the menu when I … Read more

Millet bread recipe (no yeast)

This millet bread recipe makes a perfect breakfast bread and delicious accompaniment for vegetarian stews. The recipe bakes a bread with a moist and spongy crumb and crunchy crust. Little grainy millet beads are baked into the dough. It keeps well and stays moist for days as the millet grains are great for retaining moisture. I use yellow millet … Read more

Osterpinze Recipe – Austrian Easter Bread

Osterpinze is a delicious Easter bread, made with an enriched yeast dough (milk, eggs, egg yolks and butter) and flavoured with anise wine and lemon zest. It’s traditionally baked for Easter in the South of Austria (Styria), although its origins can be traced back to the region of Friuli in Northeast Italy. The traditional way the … Read more

Mohnstrudel Recipe (Poppy Seed Strudel)

Poppy seeds feature frequently in Austrian baking. Sprinkled on top of bread rolls, mixed into multi-seed wholemeal loaves or swirled up in sweet dessert bakes, they add a wonderful contrast colour, very distinctive earthy flavour and are fun to bake with. Here, I’m showcasing the delightful Mohnstrudel (poppy seed strudel) as one of my favourite poppy seed bakes. In Austria, … Read more

Buchteln (Austrian Rohrnudeln) Recipe

Buchteln or Rohrnudeln are sweet baked pull-apart yeast buns. These are traditionally filled with jam or baked on a bed of fruit (most commonly plums or damsons). The Buchteln are packed closely in a large baking dish (usually made from enamel) to stick together. They are served warm for afternoon coffee/tea or dessert and even for … Read more