BRAIDED SWEET BREAD
Rosinenzopf: a sweet braided raisin bread from Luisa Weiss' Classic German Baking. Plus a rich Q+A about her life straddling two worlds, and her favorite Berlin bakery.
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Hello!
Yesterday, we celebrated my daughter Greta’s 14th birthday. She wanted a long family day, with a long hike in Mohonk Preserve, followed by a meal at Mountain Brauhaus, our favorite German restaurant. When we arrived at the Brauhaus, after a stunning, two-hour uphill hike (we clocked 12,000 steps and a steep scramble up a cliff), they told us it would be a 1-hour 45-minute wait for a table. She wouldn’t be swayed. She wanted her Schnitzel. I love Greta’s already well-formed alliances with her German-Hungarian roots, and I’m happy to report that it was well worth the wait (don’t worry, there was sunshine, Hefferveisen for the grown-ups and alarmingly good German pretzels with smoked gouda sauce to munch while we waited).
For Sunday, we’re taking things slower. I’m back with a little gift from
, from her book Classic German Baking. She wrote her two books as companions, and it’s worth tasting both.Out of the many familiar classics from this region you’ll find in her book, like Austria’s Sacher Torte (which Luisa nails), and the library of delicious cookies and holiday cakes, this recipe called to me on the heels of All-Saint’s Day. When you read the fascinating head note below, you’ll see why. It also might be the kind of stress-baking treat you’ll need for the week we have coming (VOTE!).
This bread isn’t far off from a classic challah. Like challah, once you make it, you will realize how much more accessible it is than you might have imagined. Braided bread is primed for ritual and meditation. And just like the long wait for the perfect Schnitzel, it delivers.
Luisa’s recipe is below, along with my Q+A with her. In it, we deep-dive into her process of writing two giant cultural cookbooks (with an 8-year gap, COVID, and rearing two gorgeous boys in the mix). She talks about tradition, her career, and her life straddling German, American, (and Italian!) culture; and how she cooks for her family in Berlin. It’s a lovely read.
Reminder: Luisa and I will be cooking together LIVE on Instagram, next Tuesday, November 5, 2024, around 10 AM. Get out there and vote, then tune in and cook this recipe along with us. We’d love to see you there.
xx
Sarah
Rosinenzopf
Sweet Raisin Braid