Recipe Manuscript

Gebackenes Kraut

Name: Gebackenes Kraut
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT30M
Yield: 6
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 100 g white bread (or 2 slices, crusts removed); 700-800 g white cabbage; 1 medium onion; 40 g butter; 3-4 eggs (size M-L); 1-2 tsp salt (to taste); 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg; 50 g lard (or clarified butter/oil for frying); Optional: 100 g cooked, peeled chestnuts; Optional: 60 g finely diced bacon or speck (omit for fasting/vegetarian)

"Baked Cabbage"

1788

From the treasured pages of Augsburgisches Kochbuch

Written by Sophie Juliane Weiler

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Intermediate Lunch Dinner

Original Recipe • 1788

Original Manuscript(circa Culinary Enlightenment, 1700 - 1800)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Gebackenes Kraut

"Weiche für 2 Kreuzer weisses Brod in Wasser ein. Schneid von einem Krautstock alle Blätter, bis aufs Herz, herunter. Thu die Rippen aus den Blättern, und hacke das Kraut recht fein. Mache ein Stück Butter, wie ein kleines Hühnerey, in einem Fußhafen heiß; thu das gehackte Kraut hinein, und dämpfe es mit einer fein geschnittenen Zwiebel so lang, bis es weich ist. Thu dann das fest ausgedrückte Brod auch dazu, und laß es noch eine Weile dämpfen. Schlag 3 oder 4 Eyer daran, thu Salz und ein wenig geriebene Muskatennuß dazu, und rühre alles wohl durcheinander. Mache Schmalz in einer Pfanne auf Kohlen heiß, thu das Angerührte hinein, decke es mit einem Deckel zu, lege Kohlen auf denselben, und laß es unten und oben gelb backen. Man kann es auch in ein mit Butter beschmiertes Becken, oder in einer kleinen Bratpfanne, im Deselein oder beym Becken backen. Gesottene abgeschälte Kastanien sind auch gut daran, und wenn man es nicht am Fasttage macht, darf ein halber Vierling ganz klein gewürfelter Speck darein gethan werden."

English Translation

"Soak white bread worth 2 Kreuzer in water. Cut all the leaves off a head of cabbage, down to the heart. Remove the ribs from the leaves and chop the cabbage very finely. Heat a piece of butter, about the size of a small egg, in a cooking pot; add the chopped cabbage and steam it with a finely chopped onion until it is soft. Then add the well-squeezed bread and let it steam for a while longer. Beat in 3 or 4 eggs, add salt and a little grated nutmeg, and mix everything well together. Heat lard in a pan over coals, pour in the mixture, cover it with a lid, put coals on top of the lid, and let it bake until golden on both the top and bottom. It can also be baked in a buttered dish or in a small frying pan, either in the oven or by the hearth. Boiled and peeled chestnuts are also good in it, and if it is not a fast day, you may add half a quarter-pound of finely diced bacon."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in the narrative style typical of the late 18th century, with steps unfolding sequentially and ingredient quantities described by cost ('2 Kreuzer weisses Brod'), familiar objects ('a lump of butter the size of a small hen's egg'), and context ('as much as needed'). Measurements were imprecise, reflecting how most cooks relied on experience, sight, and touch. Unfamiliar spellings and phrasing—such as 'Eyer' for 'Eier' (eggs), or 'des' (the) as 'des', mirror German orthography of the period. This recipe’s approachable voice, offering suggestions for fasting or feast days, also signals its practical focus: to guide cooks through options rather than dictate dogma.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Augsburgisches Kochbuch - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Augsburgisches Kochbuch (1788)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Sophie Juliane Weiler

Era

1788

Publisher

In der Joseph-Wolffischen Buchhandlung

Background

A delightful journey through 18th-century German cuisine, the Augsburgisches Kochbuch serves up a generous helping of traditional recipes and household wisdom, inviting readers to savor the flavors and customs of its era.

Kindly made available by

Bayerische Staatsbibliothek

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe hails from Sophie Juliane Weiler’s Augsburgisches Kochbuch of 1788, a testament to the rich culinary traditions of late 18th-century Southern Germany. Dishes such as 'Gebackenes Kraut'—baked cabbage—reveal the resourcefulness of cooks who transformed humble ingredients like bread and cabbage into nourishing centerpieces, especially during periods of fasting or for Lenten meals. The mention of bacon for non-fasting days and the addition of chestnuts shows how flexible home cooks were—adjusting a dish both for religious observance and seasonal availability in a world before refrigeration. The original recipe also gestures towards communal and rural cooking practices, with references to wood-fired ovens, hearth cooking, and the use of kitchen staples like lard, bread, and garden vegetables.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the 18th century, this dish would have been prepared with a large earthenware or metal pot (Fußhafen), a heavy frying pan or small oven-safe baking mold (Becken), and a hearth or coal fire. The pan would be covered with a heavy lid and embers placed both underneath and above to achieve an even, gentle bake—a precursor to the modern oven. Basic knives for chopping, wooden spoons for stirring, and simple grating tools for the nutmeg would also have been at hand. Today, a cast iron skillet or ovenproof pan, a standard oven, and common kitchen utensils make the process much simpler and safer—but the principle remains delightfully unchanged.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

3.5 oz white bread (or 2 slices, crusts removed)
1.5-1.75 lb white cabbage
1 medium onion
3 tbsp butter
3-4 eggs (size M-L)
1-2 tsp salt (to taste)
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
3.5 tbsp lard (or clarified butter/oil for frying)
Optional: 3.5 oz cooked, peeled chestnuts
Optional: 2 oz finely diced bacon or speck (omit for fasting/vegetarian)

Instructions

Soak about 3.5 oz of white bread (without crust) in water until soft, then squeeze out excess water.
Take a medium head of white cabbage (about 1.5-1.75 lb), remove the outer leaves until you reach the heart, cut out the ribs, and chop finely.
In a large pot, melt 3 tbsp butter over medium heat, then add the chopped cabbage and one finely sliced onion.
Let them gently sweat together until the cabbage is soft, around 15-20 minutes.
Add the squeezed bread, mix well, and cook a few minutes longer.
Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, then stir in 3-4 eggs, 1-2 tsp salt (to taste), and a generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg.
In a large frying pan (preferably cast iron or oven proof), heat about 3.5 tbsp lard or, as substitute, clarified butter.
Pour in the cabbage mixture, spread evenly, and cover with a lid.
Either leave on the stove at medium-low heat, or bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (top and bottom heat) for about 25-30 minutes, until golden on both sides.
If adventurous, flip to brown both sides, or simply finish under a broiler for a golden top.
Optional additions: 3.5 oz cooked, peeled chestnuts, chopped and stirred in before baking; or, for non-fasting days, 2 oz finely diced speck or bacon added with the onion.
Serve hot, sliced, as a hearty vegetarian or bacon-studded cabbage bake.

Estimated Calories

280 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 20 minutes to prepare the ingredients, including chopping and soaking the bread. Cooking the cabbage mixture on the stove takes another 20 minutes, and then baking takes about 30 minutes. Each serving has about 280 calories, and the recipe makes 6 servings.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.