Brotbacken im Kochgeschirr, 1941-1945

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Bread Baked in Mess Kit, German Army, 1941-1945

(Brotbacken im Kochgeschirr)


This recipe was produced by the German Army in WW2 for use by units in forward areas when the bread supply was interrupted or when the divisional field bakeries had not yet been set up. Field expedient bread could be produced using the mess kit (Kochgeschirr M31). There were two types of field bread, a sourdough and a baking powder version. Both used the mess kit as a baking vessel, on a bed of hot coals. The recipe was scaled to produce one 750 gram loaf, the daily bread ration for one soldier.
    
I used East German mess kits for this recipe, as they are readily available, inexpensive, and can be found in new or undamaged condition. The dimensions of the East German mess kit are nearly identical to those of the M31 Kochgeschirr used in WW2. Dented mess kits should not be used, as dents can make the bread nearly impossible to remove without breaking it up.
    
NOTE:  If baking several loaves, it is recommended to combine ingredients and mix one large batch of dough.

German Army field bread in field bakeries was usually made with a high percentage of rye flour, but could also be produced from whatever flour was available: rye, whole wheat or white wheat flour. In the accompanying pictures, an 80/20 percent mix of rye to whole wheat flour was used. The best results for the bread sour are achieved with organic rye flour.

Yield: one loaf of approx.750 grams/26 ounces

                    The completed bread removed from the Kochgeschirr.

Bread with Sourdough (Sauerteig)
Sour:
US                               Metric                       Ingredients
18 fl oz                        540 ml                         rye flour, wheat flour, or a mix of the two
9½ -10 fl oz                 280-300 ml                  lukewarm water
½ tsp                           ½ tsp                           salt

On a flat surface or in a bowl, mix together the half of the flour and salt.
Make a well in the center and slowly add two-thirds of the water and mix until you have a medium dough.
The dough should not be sticky; once mixed, the dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl or the work surface.
Knead until smooth and form into a ball.
Sprinkle the surface with additional flour.
Cover with a cloth and maintain at 20°-30°C/68°-86°F for 16-24 hours.
When the sour is ready, it will have expanded so that the flour on its surface will have split, and it will have a pleasantly sour aroma.
Note the cracks on the sour from the expansion during rising.
It is now ready to add the rest of the flour.

Add an additional ½ liter of flour to the sour and additional water to make a medium dough.
Knead until smooth.
Cover and let rise in a warm place (approx. 80°F/27°C) for 1-2 hours.

Bread with Baking Powder

US                               Metric                        Ingredients
18 fl oz                        540 ml                          rye flour, wheat flour, or a mix of the two
9½ -10 fl oz                 280-300 ml                  cold water
½ tsp                           ½ tsp                            salt
1 tbsp                          17 ml                            baking powder

On a flat surface or in a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Make a well in the center and add enough water until you have a medium dough.
The dough should not be too stiff, but not have any large lumps.
Do not over-knead.

The following procedure is followed for both types of bread once the dough is ready:

Flour or grease the inside of the mess kit.
NOTE: If cooking on an outdoor fire, greasing the outside of the mess kit will make it easier to clean.
Form a loaf which is as wide as the mess tin and ¾ the height of the body of the mess kit.
Dust the loaf with flour.
Lay the mess kit on its side and place the dough inside.
Insure that you keep the mess on its side.
NOTE: If baking in an oven, the mess kit may be left on its side or standing upright, as in the picture.
Either way will achieve good results.
Place the lid on the mess kit and clamp shut.

Finished dough in the Kochgeschirr, ready to
 be clamped shut and placed in the oven.

Baking Procedure

Campfire
You will need a wood fire that has burnt down for two hours. The mess kit is made of aluminum, and a fire that is too hot will damage the mess kit.
Scoop out the ash and embers.
Put the mess kit on the hot ground and cover with the embers that you have scooped out. If the fire on the bottom is too hot, cover the mess kit with a layer of sand.
If you are not experienced in campfire cooking, it may require a couple of trial runs to get the technique of cooking with coals correct.
Oven
Preheat oven to 350°F

Campfire or oven
Bake for about 1¼ to 1½ hours.
The bread is done when a wooden skewer inserted into the bread comes out clean.
Let the bread cool for a half hour before removing from the mess kit.

                                         
 
                              A rather dense rye bread, it held up well when sliced.

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