Kasseler speckkuchen

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Kasseler speckkuchen is a savory pie from Kassel with a base of bread dough, topped with a seasoned mixture of leeks, soaked bread, eggs, oil, and bacon. The pie developed in the Kassel area, where local home baking and market eating favored substantial breads and cakes that could be made from leftover dough and available ingredients, with the use of cured pork and seasonal vegetables such as leeks. Preparation begins by rolling out a bread dough made from flour, yeast, water, salt, and oil onto a baking sheet, washing and slicing a large quantity of leek into fine rings, soaking stale bread rolls in a little milk until absorbed, beating eggs and combining them with the soaked bread, salt, oil, and the sliced leek to form a moist batter, spreading this mixture evenly over the dough, cutting fresh bacon into small cubes and tossing these in breadcrumbs, then distributing the bacon pieces over the top before baking the pie until the topping is set and the bacon lightly browned. Common variations involve the amount of bacon and leek used, the choice of bread dough — from simple homemade dough to ready pizza dough or bread mix — and the use of seasoning such as pepper or caraway alongside the salt. The cake is eaten warm, directly from the oven, or at room temperature and is served in homes, at bakeries, and as market food in Kassel and the surrounding region, most often accompanied by beer or apple wine and eaten as a snack, light lunch, or casual meal.