Bauernfrühstück is usually served throughout winter as the main breakfast dish. It was made of wheat bread, sweet or sour cream, cheese, butter, and different forms of smoked meat like bacon or salami. This meal could either come with warm milk or fresh fruit juice depending on preference. This dish is popularly known as a farmer’s breakfast.
What is Bauernfrühstück made of?
The name Bauernfrühstück means “German farmer’s breakfast.” The dish is usually only made by farmers since it takes a lot of time and effort to prepare. Its main components are:
Bread: this should be wheat bread and not the white variant although some people prefer using white bread. It can either be crusty or soft, but it must be whole wheat.
The main component of the Bauernfrühstück is bread (either yeast or sourdough). This goes hand-in-hand with cheese and the optional butter. The bread should be at least 5 cm thick to match the other components in terms of thickness.
Bauernfrühstück is usually served in large portions size. It may take a while to make enough for everyone especially if it’s being served during winter. To save time, bakers have started making large quantities of Bauernfrühstück at the same time and then freezing them. They are then taken out of the freezer when needed.
Sweet or sour cream is used to complete the Bauernfrühstück. The taste will vary depending on preference, but it’s always good to have something sweet in one’s meal. This also complements the flavor of cheese well since both are bland in taste.
Smoked meat or speck used to be part of the original recipe and is now added as an optional component. It can either be salami, bacon, ham, chorizo, etc. The type of smoked meat is entirely up to the farmer’s preference, but it may come with its distinct flavor and taste.
This food takes a lot of preparation time since it has to match everyone’s preferences. Each piece usually comes with its toppings to give the bite some texture and variety.
How is Bauernfrühstück eaten?
This dish is meant to be eaten in large quantities. Many farmers are used to eating around 6 slices of bread during breakfast, but this meal is different since it’s meant to be shared.
The bread should either come with sweet or sour cream and cheese. The smoked meat can also be served with these components if desired. Sweetbread sometimes comes with butter instead of the usual cheeses, but it all depends on personal preference.
Bauernfrühstück can either come with fresh fruit juice or warm milk. The latter is also common in many other parts of the world, but it’s quite rare for this dish to contain anything that isn’t related to dairy or wheat making it an ideal breakfast for anyone who loves cheese and bread.
Adding Chopped Bell Peppers
Many people love Bauernfrühstück for its simplicity, but it can get boring after having the same thing over and over again. This is where chopped bell peppers come in since they can add some texture to this dish while complementing its flavor.
The trick is to add the bell peppers at the last minute. This ensures that all of its wonderful aromas will not get lost since it’s made of fresh vegetables.
Removing the bacon fat
Removing the bacon fat is important since it’s made of pure fat. It can make the bread soggy and too greasy for anyone to enjoy. To remove the fat, simply flip the bread around after it has been cooked in a pan. Most of its fat will be on top while very little should drip to the bottom making it easy to separate from the rest of the dish.
The fried bread can either come as a single component or it can be shared with everyone who is enjoying the Bauernfrühstück. This will depend on its thickness and size since some people may need more than others depending on their appetite and needs.
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How to make Bauernfrühstück:
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon or chopped ham
- 1 Tbsp. butter or olive oil
- 1 chopped onion (green onions/white onions)
- 4 cooked and finely diced potatoes/potato slices
- 6 eggs
- 1/2 Tsp. salt
- Ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup milk
Directions
Fry the bacon in medium-high heat until crisp In a large frying pan.
Remove and drain on a paper towel. Remove the bacon fat from the pan, add the butter and saute’ the onion until soft.
Add the potatoes until golden brown.
Make an egg mixture by beating the eggs lightly and adding the salt, pepper, and milk, and finally the chopped bacon.
Pour the scrambled eggs mixture over the onions and add the fried potatoes stir occasionally until cooked.
Add bell pepper if preferred.
Serve immediately
Enjoy!
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History of Bauernfrühstück
The original form of Bauernfrühstück came from farmers in Germany it was commonly known as “German farmer’s breakfast.” People from this area have been farming for a very long time which is why their food was focused on bread and dairy products.
- Bread: This became the main component of this dish since it could last for several days and provide them with much-needed energy throughout the day.
- Dairy: Milk and butter came from their animals such as cows or goats which allowed them to make cheese out of the milk.
- Potato: This vegetable is a favorite among farmers who tend to have a more balanced diet than other people living in large cities.
Today, this dish is enjoyed by many other people who live in different parts of the world. They still prefer its taste since it’s quite simple and does not require a lot of ingredients.
Notes:
This dish is meant to be eaten with the hands since it is a farmer’s breakfast, but knives and forks can also be used if needed. The one thing that’s important is to enjoy it while still warm since it loses its flavor quickly when refrigerated. It may even lose texture once frozen, so it’s best to have this food served fresh.
The ingredients should also come in large quantities to ensure that everyone can enjoy this meal together.
It does take time to make it since the components need to come with their toppings which make this dish quite suitable for large gatherings and celebrations.
Many people particularly enjoy warm milk on top of this food since it gives it a creamy texture and makes the bread include even more protein. It might be an acquired taste, but it’s also one that can help anyone feel full throughout the day.
The bacon can come pre-cooked or fresh. Fresh bacon requires a bit of cooking time, but it tastes better than the pre-cooked version as well as adding its flavors.
Sweetbread is not an unusual ingredient for this dish, but potatoes are. While they can provide it with some sweetness, they also make sure that there’s enough starch to help people feel full and satisfied.
The meal is also best served with bread since that gives it more substance even though it can already be quite filling.
Bauernfrühstück Recipe: How to Make This Breakfast Dish
Savor the flavor of the delicious Bauernfrühstück with this wonderful and easy-to-follow German breakfast dish recipe!
Type: Main Dish
Cuisine: German
Keywords: bauernfrühstück, bauernfrühstück recipe, how to make bauernfrühstück, german dish, traditional german food, bauernfrühstück recipes
Recipe Yield: 4 servings
Preparation Time: PT10M
Cooking Time: PT30M
Total Time: PT40M
Recipe Ingredients:
- 6 slices bacon or chopped ham
- 1 Tbsp. butter or olive oil
- 1 chopped onion (green onions/white onions)
- 4 cooked and finely diced potatoes/potato slices
- 6 eggs
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- Ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup milk
Recipe Instructions: Fry the bacon in medium-high heat until crisp In a large frying pan. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Remove the bacon fat from the pan, add the butter and saute’ the onion until soft. Add the potatoes until golden brown. Make an egg mixture by beating the eggs lightly and adding the salt, pepper, and milk, and finally the chopped bacon. Pour the scrambled eggs mixture over the onions and add the fried potatoes stir occasionally until cooked. Add bell pepper if preferred. Serve immediately.
4
Conclusion
As a whole, this farmer’s breakfast is quite ideal for anyone who wants to have something simple and filling.
It may not be nutritious as it’s made of mostly carbohydrates, but people can find other components in it such as eggs, onions, fried potatoes, and meat which give it vitamins and protein respectively.
It’s also more of breakfast food so savory components are important to give people the energy they need before starting their day ahead of them.
FAQ
What substitute ingredients can be used in Bauernfrühstück?
– Chopped ham instead of bacon, you can use your leftover ham
– You can use both green and white onions
– You can use olive oil instead of butter
– You can use fried potatoes instead of steamed potatoes
– You can use lightly salted water instead of milk
– You can add bell peppers for added nutrition and taste
– You can use cheese instead of sweet bread