Baked traditionally like 200 years ago
Baked traditionally like 200 years ago
The original Kaprun wood-fired bread
Finally, Kaprun smells of spring again - and of fresh wood-fired bread! Because when the baking day at Kirchbichl begins every Friday from 10 am, Günther Katschner's wood-fired oven is already heated to 300 degrees Celsius and the crusty baked loaves attract the visitors. But it is not only the taste of his rustic, twisted baguette-style breads, Striezel (braided yeast buns) and Buchteln (yeast buns with a sweet filling) that is unique: Just watching Katschner's traditional art of baking at the historic oven is an attraction in itself. Come along and sample his bread specialities!
Village Baking Day at Kirchbichl in Kaprun is every Friday – and this since the end of March until October. Locals and visitors alike look forward to this just as much as they look forward to the first signs of spring. For visitors to be able to experience this spectacle at all, master baker Günther Katschner heats up his historic wood-fired oven at dawn at the over 400-year-old "Steinerbauernhaus", which is also home to the Kaprun Museum, on the Kirchbichl.
Good bread needs time
To bring the 19th century oven to an operating temperature of 300 degrees Celsius, Katschner needs a whole 80 kilos of wood, but above all a lot of time and dedication. Depending on the weather and the influence of high or low pressure, the heat in the masonry behaves differently. But after 15 years of baking bread, this is no problem for the professional from Kaprun. With his craft, he underlines the value of bread as food and shows how much time, patience and attention to detail is needed to make it.
When the temperature in the stone oven is just right and the residual embers have been swept out of the oven, Katschner's pieces of dough are already on the work surface and ready to go: artfully twisted into a plaited loave or lovingly formed into a round shape, his creations go into the oven to bake. If you want to try the Kaprun wood-fired bread, the nut or poppy seed strudel, Katschner's plaited milk bread or his Buchteln with vanilla sauce there and then and not at home, you can of course enjoy the delicacies at the wood-fired oven lounge of "Katschner brot&mehr" while the master baker continues to bake tirelessly. The cosy atmosphere there is also popular with the locals, who like to meet here on Fridays for a "Ratscher" (chat) with friends.
From June, in addition to bread baking, there will also be the Alpine Delights Market on Fridays at Kirchbichl in Kaprun. In addition to fresh bread, there are of course many other regional specialities to discover at the Culinary Market: homemade juices and syrups, aromatic cheeses and specialities such as Pinzgau whey cheese and even gin from the area can be sampled and bought.
Old craft, modern ambience
Our tip for you: If you can't get enough of Katschner's bread specialities, you should also stop by Katschner's bakery and café at Salzburgerplatz in Kaprun: While the master baker presents his pastries in a quaint ambience on the Kirchbichl, things are a little more modern but just as interesting there. At his bakery, Katschner’s pastries are "double-baked". What does that mean?
After the pastries have proved in special cold rooms without baking aids, they are put into the oven for the first time. However, the pieces of dough are actually not baked yet. Instead, they go into a "bread resting room" for another 12 to 18 hours and are then baked a second time. This process is Günther Katschner's pride and joy and, like his wood-fired oven, is a unique example of the art of baking that cannot be found anywhere else.
In any case, we wish you lots of fun on your bread-baking journey through time. Bon appétit!
Tip: Alpine Delights Market
- every Friday from 3 June 2022
- start: 10 am
- end: approx. 2 pm
The meeting place for connoisseurs: sample Pinzgau cuisine at the Alpine Delights Market in Kirchbichl: in addition to wood-fired bread, there are also game products from Gut Fischhorn, products from the Pinzgau Räucherstub'n smokehouse, flour and pasta from the Zentro Tauernmühle mill and honey directly from the beekeeper. Stopping at the Neumair stall is a must. There you will find a wide range of regional products, from local potatoes to homemade cheese and bacon dumplings, fresh eggs or homemade jam.
We look forward to seeing you at the Alpine Delights Market at Kirchbichl!
