EN 
DE 
By Siri Rokosch
Ottendorf-Okrilla. The list of certificates is long: twice the Gnauck bakery from Ottendorf-Okrilla already among the "Best Bakers in Germany" by the magazine "The gourmet" award. In addition, three awards from the gourmet magazine "Falstaff", the Gnauck bakery was among the top ten best marketing ideas in the Zacharias Prize five times, and Marlon Gnauck won this prize twice. He won the "EKU" Energy, Environment and Climate Prize in 2022 and the Saxon Environmental Prize in 2020, as well as third place in the Dresden Craftsmanship Future Prize. But what is the Ottendorf bakery's recipe for success?
Managing director and owner, baker Marlon Gnauck, believes that this success is primarily down to the ingredients, time, good marketing and the commitment of the eleven employees. The baker is of the opinion that quality alone does not bring customers: "It stands and falls with the staff. You need good staff," he says. In addition, a good public image consisting of advertising and public relations work is important so that customers find out about the products in the first place.
Baker Gnauck: "Quality alone does not bring customers"
One unique selling point, for example, is that his bakery is the only one that exhibits every year at the travel trade fair in Dresden is represented. Only bread that is not intended for consumption on site is sold there. This is one way of attracting new customers, says Marlon Gnauck. This coming January will be the fifth time he has had a stand at this trade fair.
Some of his customers drive up to 20 kilometers to buy bread, rolls and cakes at the Gnauck bakery in Ottendorf-Okrilla, says the baker: "It's an everyday luxury that our customers treat themselves to. They come two to three times a week." The quality of the baked goods is the basis for success, but "not everything".
The raw materials come from home
Gnauck explains that his ingredients for breads, rolls and cakes come from the local area: "We only use high-quality raw materials with little sugar. We also use old grain varieties, including 'champagne rye' and red-skinned wheat from the region."
The doughs also need time, they have to rest for a long time, because the fermentation also allows the aromas to develop. "Today, everything has to be quick and cheap, but everything has to be given the time it needs," explains Marlon Gnauck. For the real Dresden Christmas stollen, he uses candied lemon peel, which costs three times as much as the usual stuff in the supermarket, but which also tastes better.
Marlon Gnauck and his team regularly try out new baked goods. For some years now, they have also been experimenting with reducing sugar, because that is the future, says the Managing Director: "We have already almost completely eliminated sugar from the chocolate mouse. We use more fruit and lemon juice as natural flavor enhancers in our baked goods."
Sugar reduction would not yet work with shortcrust pastry. "We're working our way up slowly. In three years' time, I may find a way to reduce the sugar in shortcrust pastry too. The important thing is not to allow things to stand still. That's bad," says Gnauck.
Baking with Gnauck: Children's bakery at the Dresden Striezelmarkt
Marlon Gnauck will be back this year in the children's bakery at the Dresden Striezelmarkt be. There, children can bake and decorate their own cookies. The baker from Ottendorf will be there on December 16 to give tips and guide the girls and boys.
Adults can attend bread baking courses at the bakery in Ottendorf from the first quarter of next year. However, there are only a few places left. In the upcoming pre-Christmas period, there are still a few places available for the raisin stollen baking courses, while the almond stollen baking courses are already full.
And those who would rather just enjoy themselves and have a chat can also attend one of the gourmet evenings. These will be held again next year on the topics of whisky, wine, beer and gin, accompanied by bread and cheese.
