Konstanz boasts no fewer than five bakeries in its downtown area, and some have been owned by the same family for five or six hundred years. Bakeries are known to open early, typically at 6:00 a.m. That means the work day for a baker and his or her assistant begins around three hours earlier to knead dough that will make the morning's pasteries and breads. Practically any baked good can be bought at a German bakery, and at an affordable price.
Bakers themselves have a reputation throughout Europe for working very hard, staying open for long hours and earning very little pay. For that reason, in recent years more and more bakers have sold their businesses to corporations, that is, converted to big-name companies.
On Friday I bought two of the same pastry at two different bakeries. The privately owned store was named Die Backstüble, or "the Little Bakery Hall," and the corporate chain was named Schneckenburger.
The food I selected is called a Nussgipfel - or literally "nutty summit." The closest equivalent to this food in U.S. fare is the nut croissant.
