Bavarian & Swabian food - South Germany's finest grandma approved recipes

[TDDA]

In alignment with the motto of this site "deny ignorance", I want to offer some insights into authentic German cooking.

Have you ever wanted to eat some special dish from a foreign country and searching for recipes? Only to discover that there are tons of variations and substitutions, sometimes even complete different dishes? Often when I search for famous recipes from different countries, there are a lot of self-made variations, that often do not represent the actual food I am looking for. Variations are nice but some dishes I have seen on English cooking boards that are allegedly German, could not be more far away from the actual experience.

That is why I start by offering easy to follow, step by step recipes with pictures and comments how to get there. For this I chose a few famous foods from my region and present them to you in the poll above. I will cook them and take photos so you don't miss any important steps. Even if you think you are bad at cooking but have not given up yet, you will be surprised how easy it can be. Without all the modern flashy riff-raff, "secret ingredients" or special techniques.

I hope to see similar threads from members that love to cook and are willing share their local recipes. Knowing this forum is just filling up, I will wait a few weeks and collect results, then start producing the recipes for you. 

My standards are to use no artificial flavoring or sauce-fix products, not even sauce-binder. You will learn to substitute all this with your skills, instead of chemicals that are bad for your health. Don't be afraid, if you can cut an onion, you can pull of some of these recipes with good results. 

The poll is multiple choice and I begin with the highest rated ones.

~ Cooking ~

German meat balls with swabian potato salad

Simple meat balls that contain caramelized onions, milk soaked leftover breadcrumbs and herbs, 

accompanied by a dark sauce and famous Swabian style potato salad

Difficulty: ♥

Bavarian roasted pork with plain potato and sauerkraut

A pork roast, accompanied by a hearty sauce and just plain potato and sauerkraut - the classic!

Difficulty: ♥♥

Swabian varieties of Maultaschen

A noodle dough pocket half the size of your palm, filled with either spinach&meat, 

plain meat and vegetarian version.  To be used in soups or cut in stripes and roasted 

with eggs and onions in a pan or as a side dish in general. The hearty German ravioli but still lightweight.

Difficulty: ♥♥♥

Bavarian yeast dumplings

Yeast dumplings, steamed in milk, accompanied by a self made raspberry sauce and optional vanilla sauce. A sweet main dish.

Difficulty: ♥♥♥

Swabian onion-roast with spätzle & semmelknödel

A beef roast topped with caramelized onions, accompanied by a fine red-wine sauce and traditional handmade Swabian noodles and 

handmade semmelknödel (bread dumplings)

Difficulty: ♥♥♥♥

Bavarian pork loin with filling

Special cream cheese filled pork loin, accompanied by a thick and hearty dark sauce, traditional handmade potato dumplings
with butter-toasted bread crumbs in their core and traditional red cabbage cooked with an apple

Difficulty: ♥♥♥♥♥ (very)

Beef Rouladen
Top side beef cut rolled up, filled with mustard, tomato, onions, bacon
Difficulty: ♥♥ (very)

 ~ Baking ~

Swabian braided yeast bread

A yeast bread, braided and coated in egg yolk, then baked in the oven.

Difficulty: ♥♥  (takes practice)

Bavarian & Swabian pretzels

There are two versions of Pretzels actually, I will show you how to make both from scratch.

Difficulty: ♥♥♥ (takes practice)

[Wave]

Thanks, TDDA, great idea! I had a beef dish with authentic (not the boxed grocery store variety) spätzle some years ago at a German deli. It was spectacular. The dish you're talking about sounds very similar to what I had at that restaurant, would love to know how to make that.
Delicious!

[TDDA]

Thanks, TDDA, great idea! I had a beef dish with authentic (not the boxed grocery store variety) spätzle some years ago at a German deli. It was spectacular. The dish you're talking about sounds very similar to what I had at that restaurant, would love to know how to make that.
Delicious!

Was it, by all chances, topped with onions? The meat? Then it was the onion-roast, aka Zwiebelrostbraten.

Alright, so since you are the first one actually interested, I will make the onion roast and show how to produce the spätzle with a wooden board and a knife over boiling water. 

But first you get the giraffe cake recipe

[Wave]

Was it, by all chances, topped with onions? The meat? Then it was the onion-roast, aka Zwiebelrostbraten.

Alright, so since you are the first one actually interested, I will make the onion roast and show how to produce the spätzle with a wooden board and a knife over boiling water. 

But first you get the giraffe cake recipe

Yes, it was topped with onions, and it was so good. Lol. I've never made anything like that before, I'll definitely be giving it a try.

I'm definitely thinking I'll make myself that giraffe cake for my birthday, thanks for divulging the recipe! Looking forward to it.

[TDDA]

Yes, it was topped with onions, and it was so good. Lol. I've never made anything like that before, I'll definitely be giving it a try.

I'm definitely thinking I'll make myself that giraffe cake for my birthday, thanks for divulging the recipe! Looking forward to it.

Alright, that's my favorite of all the meals anyways :D

I show you / all 

[Byrd]

When we lived in Germany, my mother learned to make rouladen.  I think that's one of my all time favorite dishes

recipe:  Authentic German Rouladen Recipe - The Daring Gourmet

[TDDA]

When we lived in Germany, my mother learned to make rouladen.  I think that's one of my all time favorite dishes

recipe:  Authentic German Rouladen Recipe - The Daring Gourmet

That looks authentic, a good recipe.

Best meat for rouladen is top side cut, IMHO. We call it "Oberschale". IDK how I forgot that, because I had it on my mind when I made the thread.

[Byrd]

That looks authentic, a good recipe.

Best meat for rouladen is top side cut, IMHO. We call it "Oberschale". IDK how I forgot that, because I had it on my mind when I made the thread.

We were there a few years after WWII (and a second tour in the sixties) -- I don't know where mom got the recipe from, but it's delicious.

What I miss, though, is real brotchen.  I've had it here in the states, and there's just not a lot of places that can do a proper brotchen.

[TDDA]

We were there a few years after WWII (and a second tour in the sixties) -- I don't know where mom got the recipe from, but it's delicious.

What I miss, though, is real brotchen.  I've had it here in the states, and there's just not a lot of places that can do a proper brotchen.

Whenever I am outside Germany I miss them too. Foreign made buns are often too sweet and sometimes way too heavy on yeast, without any crunch. Working some rye flour into the buns while kneding gives a real nice crust.