It lacks the elegance of the croissant, the sophistication of the English muffin, the intrigue of the bagel. But for millions of West Germans, the day begins with Brötchen, the hand-grenade-shaped breakfast roll with a shell so tough that it travels well in trouser pockets and can bear giant charges of Schmalz or butter and jam without buckling. Trouble is, the best Brötchen is freshly baked Brötchen, and that is denied West Germans through a quirk of law dating back to Hitler. To end night shifts for bakers, the Nazis in 1936 forbade any...
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