What I Learned While Taking a Two-week Crash Course in German Bread Baking

When you ask people about the best place in the world for bread, they will most likely tell you about France’s baguettes and croissants, Italy’s focaccia and pizza, or maybe open-crumb American sourdough. But I think they’re wrong. Germany should top that list.

The first time I set foot in Germany, I arrived with low expectations of the culinary options. But that changed when I spied a German bakery. The array of breads, rolls,...