December 8, 2021 - 4:14pm
Seeking recipe
Hello, I am hoping someone out there knows what I'm looking for. There is a loaf that my German mother used to make that she called "Zemmel". It was sweet, but not as fluffy as white bread, and a bit more dense overall. We used to eat it for breakfast slathered with butter and home made jam. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, please let me know where I might find the recipe. Thanks so much. Gaby
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Hi Gaby,
are you looking for a recipe in English or in German?
Googling semmeln or semmel brötchen will give you plenty of images and recipes for the bread rolls and loaves from your childhood, although we would never know the exact recipe that your mom was using.
Thanks very much for your reply Mariana. I’ve done a lot of research and often find the word semmel together with the word brotchen but have hesitated to try the recipe because I definitely know that brotchen don’t have the same taste or texture as the bread my mother used to make that I’m looking for. Although I do LOVE brotchen.
I wonder if the dough used to make butterkuchen (sugar kuchen?) could also be used to make a loaf? For some reason it seemed my mum always made those two on the same day, so I’m guessing she made one loaf and one flat cookie sheet sized cake. What do you think?
May be. I am sure you are right.
It depends on the butterkuchen dough recipe, Gaby. Some are suitable for making a loaf and others aren't. Some are sweet(ened) and other don't have sugar in them at all, all sweetness comes from the toppings.
See if you wanna try this one, a Swabian butterkuchen which is not sweet(ened),although you could sweeten it a bit, to taste.
http://www.mamas-rezepte.de/rezept_Muerbes_Butter_Hefebrot-3-71.html
https://www-mamas--rezepte-de.translate.goog/rezept_Muerbes_Butter_Hefebrot-3-71.html?_x_tr_sch=http&_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US
This one is to die for, simply the best, you would be able to make a buttercake and a loaf out of it. Just like your mom's. Scroll down this page, please
https://thibeaultstable.com/2012/04/19/tarte-au-sucre/
Thank you so much Mariana, I will definitely try it. You have been so very helpful, and I appreciate your kindness. I will let you know how it goes!
Wish me luck. All the best,
Gaby
Oh, I’m sorry, English would be great but I’ve translated from German to English on google as well. I find the ingredients sometimes confuse me though – I’m very new at this baking thing.
Thanks again for your help.
Gaby