“… our daily bread give us now…” – Everybody knows this phrase from the Lord’s Prayer, yet the bread in our highly developed food culture has lost its importance.  With culinary delights you usually associate the toppings and now I was able to experience that bread itself can be a a luxury food explosion.  Without any extra.

Bread sommelier Bernd Wettlaufer

In the course of an evening under the motto >Bread and wine is life< I was allowed to get to know Frankfurt’s 1st certified bread sommelier and owner of the Rockenbäcker Brotkultur-Laden – Am weißen Stein 7, 60431 Frankfurt am Main – Bernd Wettlaufer.  And much more: experienced bread completely new and with all my senses.  In his traditional family business in its 6th generation, with more than 30 employees, baking is still really a craft.  It is kneaded by hand, shaped and baked, as it used to be.  Up to the year 1888, the Rockenbäcker bread bakery goes back with many old secret recipes and every bread tells its individual story.  Every day new ones are added.

Bernd Wettläufer has made the history of bread his and further developed the wonderful German bread culture;  the bread returned his soul and meaning.  It is therefore not surprising that Bernd Wettlaufer became known through the ZDF program “Germany’s Best Baker” in 2014. In the casting under the direction of celebrity chief Johann Lafer, the passionate master baker prevailed over 1,500 applicants.

Putting quality fist

Only the best raw materials are used, artificial additives or flavor enhancers are not found in the bakery, and 100% pure natural sour dough is used for its long-lasting freshness, which lasts for more than 18 hours – contributes to the full development of the flavor. It is well known that taste is a matter of choice and therefore arty bread director Bernd Wettlaufer creates a hudge range of different delicious flavours. This evening I could taste more than 20 different sorts and was very enthusiastic by almost all of them.

On top Hanns Fertsch, a state-certified sommelier from Bad Nauheim served the corresponding sorts of wine to the different bread.

The different flavors, tastes, colors  and strengths were just terrific, spectacular and unexpected. 

From traditionally, over fruity-sweet to peppery everything was tasted. And, how we say: you also eat with your eyes the Rockenbäcker has also come up with great bread colors inside. Of course, all pure nature.  In the end I was not only full, but really impressed.

Committed to tradition

Fortunately we can assume that tradition will continue, because the eldest son of Bernd Wettlaufer, Fabio, is already managing director of Rockenbäcker.  With his young age he is already well trained and full of passion. So the art of baking can continuesly grow up with him.  The philosophy of family business is also particularly beautiful:

“We have set ourselves the goal of not following any movement but of setting our own standards:  not to let the quality suffer, but to bake puristic, honest breads and rolls.”

I swear his rolls are 100% honest.  Really even and delicious!

Add-on for all fans of the history of bread some interesting informations:

With over 3.200 different types of bread, assigned in the bread register of the >German Bread Institute<, which are offered daily in our bakeries, Germany is leader in the world of bread.

People from all over the world visit the ‘Akademie Deutsches Bäckerhandwerk Weinheim’ to get to know the bread culture in special programs.  www.baeckerhandwerk.de Our wonderful German bread culture was even declared as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014: “It is not only popular worldwide, but also unique in its diversity”.