The Frankfurt Fo Guang Youth Branch of the International Buddha’s Light Association held a German bread baking course at the Dishuifang of Fo Guang Shan in Frankfurt on June 16. In addition to the participation of 10 Buddha’s Light youths, it also attracted 15 senior Buddha’s Light Association cadres, ranging in age from 15 to 70 years old. Baking The course is popular with young and old alike.
Bread is almost an indispensable food for Germans’ three meals a day, and there are more than 3,000 varieties. Brezel (also known as twisted bread) is a representative of German bread. Even though it can be seen in any bakery like ordinary breakfast bread, its production process is quite cumbersome and unique. The alkaline smell is the secret to attracting adults and children.
In order to let Foguang people better understand the German bread making process, the Frankfurt Youth League specially arranged a “German Knotted Bread Teaching”. Once the notice was sent out, registration was extremely enthusiastic, and Master Jueyan of the Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Frankfurt had to limit the number of people. Wang Jingxuan, secretary of the Youth League, loves baking pastries and learned how to make alkaline bread while working in a bakery during the summer, so it was natural for her to be the speaker of this class.
The alkaline water packets require dough to be made. In order to save classroom teaching time, the cadres of the Youth League arrived at the Buddhist hall in advance to assist the teacher in making enough dough for 25 people. While waiting for the yeast to ferment for a few minutes, Wang Jingxuan asked all participants to take out their mobile phones and play a popular science game about Brezel’s past and present lives. Three generations of old, middle-aged and young people had a great time playing, and in the end the youngest, 15-year-old Liu Yilin, won. The other Foguang people sighed that it was true that young people have quick thinking and nimble fingers.
Then they started making bread, and the students got the corresponding dough. It looked like a simple twist, but it was not easy to make. In addition to considering the kneading length of the noodles, you should also pay attention to retaining the thickness in the middle. At first, the students’ dough was either too short to form a knot, or too thin, with no bulge in the middle. Most of the Foguang people who come to participate in the course are baking enthusiasts and have very high requirements for their works. After trying over and over again, they will not submit their works until they are satisfied. Although it is just a piece of bread, Foguang people insist on doing their best and try their best to complete every step.
Flour, yeast, water and other elements create a piece of bread, and the collective creation of young cadres and Foguang people experience and achieve a theme activity of “Harmony of All Destinies”.
