Hessischer speckkuchen

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Hessischer speckkuchen is a savory pie from the German state of Hesse, made with a yeast-raised sheet base and a bacon-and-egg topping. Preparation starts with making the dough with wheat flour, milk, butter, eggs, yeast, sugar, and salt, then rolling it thin on a greased baking sheet. Bacon is cut into small cubes, eggs are beaten, and both are spread over the dough, which is then seasoned with caraway and pepper. Common variations stay close to this structure and usually involve changing the thickness of the rolled dough, the amount of bacon, or the balance of caraway and pepper, and some cooks cut the cake smaller for snack portions or larger for meal portions. The cake is eaten warm or at room temperature and is served as a snack, a light meal, or a shared item on casual tables, most often paired in Hesse with apple wine and beer, and it pairs naturally with simple greens or pickles if a side is wanted.