From the Jäger bakery to Backspiel: a Lower Franconian family history
Backspiel has its roots in the traditional Jäger bakery in Zellingen, a small town in Lower Franconia near Würzburg. Andreas Kuhn, a trained master baker, took over the business in 2012 and has continued to run it under the name Backspiel ever since. The artisanal bakery is now in its fourth generation — a continuity that is noticeable in every step of production. Kuhn's son Lukas now works with him; the father-son team continues to develop the range together, combining artisanal tradition with their own ingenuity.
In addition to the original bakery location on Brückenstraße in Zellingen, the family operates a second location in the region, through which they also reach supra-regional customers. With a fixed range of around 58 products, Backspiel has made the step from a local baker to a small delicatessen specialist — without industrializing the business.
Craftsmanship without shortcuts: dough management, time, and natural ingredients
The foundation of the Backspiel philosophy is remarkably simple: good taste takes time. The dough pieces mature for up to 48 hours before they go into the oven — a resting period that simply does not exist in industrial bread production. This principle also applies to the bakery's cracker specialties: the wine crackers undergo a 24-hour dough cooling process so that aromas and flavors can develop undisturbed. Subsequently, the dough is rolled out paper-thin in several stages, which is the basis for the characteristic crispness.
Andreas Kuhn works exclusively with natural ingredients — completely without additives or preservatives. The recipes remain under wraps, but the quality standards do not: anyone who buys in Zellingen or orders online receives baked goods that clearly differ from standardized supermarket goods.
Wine crackers and cheese crackers: the range for the set table
What has made Backspiel known beyond Lower Franconia are the wine and cheese crackers — developed by Andreas and Lukas Kuhn in response to a specific request: a city commissioned the bakery to produce a pastry that would meet the special requirements of a wine event. The result is the wine crackers: paper-thin, neutral in aroma, with flaxseed and sesame, which accompany fruity white wines like Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc just as well as fuller-bodied red wines such as Pinot Noir — without masking their aromas. The cheese crackers are baked with Gran Biraghi cheese from Lombardy: crumbly, buttery, with a finely spicy note that does not dominate but remains clearly perceptible. They go well with mature white wines like Chardonnay or Pinot Gris and with red wines with structure. Both varieties are also suitable as a base for Mediterranean dips or as an introduction to a tasting — crispy and clear in their character.
