A Dresden Baker at Waldsee

At Waldsee, learning German is literally a piece of Kuchen! When you see the desert cart come by with freshly made Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black Forest cherry cake), an Obsttorte (fruit tort) or a Dresdner Stollen, the next thing you know you’re saying “Ich möchte bitte….(I’d like…)”. At Waldsee, German tastes gut!

This summer, Waldsee villagers were treated to an exceptional variety of freshly baked German breads, cakes and pastries, including many new recipes introduced by Dresden native and master baker Oliver Lübke, or Olli as he is known at Waldsee. Homemade Brezeln? Kein Problem. Unbelievably tasty Brötchen? Ein Kinderspiel. Olli put years of experience to work this summer, producing tasty baked goods for every Waldsee meal, as well as traditional afternoon Kuchen at the Waldsee Café.

“I first learned how to bake at home,” Olli recalls. “I found it interesting and when I finished school I decided to become a professional baker.” Germans have a time-honored and rigorous system of training. Olli first worked to become a Bäckergeselle, taking classes three days a week and working in a bakery twice a week for three years. He then worked full time for a few more years, and then returned to take more courses and learn more baking secrets until he was awarded the title of Bäckermeister, or master baker.
 
Waldsee villagers profited from all of this experience. In addition to baking for the entire Village, Olli led a group of villagers on a baking adventure – braiding breads, making Apfelstrudel, Quarkkuchen, Pflaumenkuchen, and even trying out German-style pizza from Waldsee’s outdoor Backofen.

“Waldsee macht viel Spass – Waldsee is a lot of fun,” Olli exclaims. “The chance to experience such beautiful natural surroundings, to take a trip with the Grüne Welle, fish in the lake just before sunset, dance to modern music – it’s been cool.”

“Olli was an outstanding addition to the Waldsee community,” notes Waldsee head baker Brian Dutcher, or Günther, whose own career with Waldsee and the Language Villages spans more than three decades. Together, they and the rest of the Waldsee baking team created some tasty memories and are already working on new treats for next summer.

clv@cord.edu
1 (800) 222-4750