A Master Baker in BJ: Michael Bock of Michael's German Bakery

Sometimes, the best things are made by those who rise early, something that’s especially true when it comes to baked goods. Bakers the world over get up early to start things fresh, be it getting dough ready or starting the baking process itself. The fruits of their labor can then be tasted throughout the day; a testament to their work ethic.

This dedication to the art of baking can be seen in the work of Michael Bock of Michael’s German Bakery in northeastern Chaoyang district. Bock has operated the bakery with the help of his wife, Annie, and their son, Dr. Gan Quan, for some time now, with the bakery having celebrated its 12th anniversary in October this year.

Outside Michael's German Bakery, with a painting of the shop and Bock welcoming customers to the right

I meet Bock at the bakery one cold November morning. The shop sits on Laiguangying Donglu, the first stop on a sort of food street done up in a warm, homey maroon exterior. Going into the shop things get even cozier, with wooden shelves and displays of all kinds of baked goods with a small seat in the corner, a display of Christmastime treats to the right of the entryway bringing all that coziness to a crescendo.

After waiting for a few minutes, Bock enters the bakery from the upstairs shop to greet me. He would be imposing due to his height alone if it wasn’t for the jolly grin across his face, accentuated by short gray hair and a wise yet serious gaze.

The bakery is small yet cozy, with the baking happening on the second floor above the shop

The first thing Bock asks when I sit is whether or not I’d prefer coffee. I’m served a shot of espresso and my first bit of German bread: a small loaf of bread covered in seeds, which lend it an added depth of flavor, plus marzipanstollen, a classic, richly flavored German Christmas bread with a disk of marzipan at its center.

As I taste each of these, I’m joined at the small table by the door by Bock, who tells me his story.

From Novice to Master Baker

Bock’s road to Beijing and running a bakery of his own started when he was 15 years old living in Germany. His father, who had become a baker following WWII, at first tried anything to get Bock to take another line of work, but in the end, he relented.

Bock (right) at age 15, working with his first boss in Darmstadt/Hessen, Germany in 1978

“My father took me to the shop and I met my future boss,” Bock recalls on his first ever job interview. “He asked me to do some simple multiplication and division off the top of my head, and when he saw I could do that, I got the job.”

While working for the baker, Bock would go to school once a week to learn baking, as part of Germany’s dual education system. Graduating at 18 as an assistant baker, Bock then served in the army, before eventually going back to baking.

Bock (third from left) receiving his master baker certification at the age of 27 in Kassel, Germany in 1989

He cemented his commitment to the craft five years later when he went to school for his master baker certification. It took a year, working in the morning and in the afternoons and evenings going to the school, but it’s an achievement Bock still displays proudly to this day, with the certificate hanging proudly in the bakery in Beijing.

Taking a Step Abroad

Following years of work in Germany, Bock, then 39, embarked on a new adventure – his first move abroad. The baker had found work in Japan, where he worked for six years, baking and training new bakery staff as well as making weekly television appearances to promote baked goods.

Like father like son: Bock proudly displaces his and his father's master certificates in the bakery to this day

2002 would bring Bock into the world of sports. The FIFA World Cup was happening in Japan and South Korea that year, and Bock was one of a few German bakers tapped to bake on behalf of the German national team. It was this stint that would bring him to Beijing.

A few years after the World Cup, in 2008, Bock was approached by a food organizer for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Soon enough, he found himself working in Huairou district for three months for the Games, side by side with two other German bakers and a Swiss baker.

Michael’s German Bakery – From Birth to Present

“After the Olympics, I thought to myself ‘oh China might be interesting.’” This burgeoning interest led Bock to transition to a German bakery in Beijing, turning his stay from three months to three years.

Bock met his wife Annie, pictured here in the bakery, at a Starbucks in 2009

It was during his tenure at the bakery, in 2009, that Bock met Annie in a Starbucks coffee shop. By the third year at the bakery, Bock had become unhappy with the work, which Annie recognized. She proposed to Bock that he open his own bakery, instead.

Bock agreed, and Annie helped the master baker to open Michael’s German Bakery in 2011. Building the company from the ground up with a prime location and hiring a stellar baking and sales team that has remained with the bakery for years.

Bock with Annie and their team

The bakery gained popularity quickly, with German and other expats becoming regular customers. Annie also became involved in the baking process. She transitioned from the business side of things, at first studying by her husband’s side before then going to Germany in 2015, where she studied baking at a school for international students.

Many of Bock’s customers have remained loyal to this day. Pointing me towards a special 12th anniversary decoration covered in photos of customers over the years, he highlights a few, one of his youngest customers, now a grown teenager, who has been coming to the shop from a young age, and others of happenings and parties, even a massive head-shaped bread made in honor of Schindler of Schindler’s Tankstelle fame.

A Family Business for the Community

The small bakery on Laiguangying Donglu has gone through a few changes since its inception. For a start, it was much larger, with more seating available for patrons. They had to downsize due to changing regulations, but the charm still remains.

The 12th anniversary display joins a Christmas display in the bakery

I’m on to my second espresso now, with a few new snacks on a plate brought out by Bock. There’s brezel, done in the Swabian style and made with 100 percent butter; and a brezelcroissant, a croissant made with brezel dough, which lends it a crispier exterior. Both are made with lye flour, which gives both a slightly salty, rich bite.

On the sweeter side of things, there’s krapfen, the German equivalent of a jelly donut. Unlike its American counterpart, though, this pastry is filled with real strawberry jelly. It’s a difference that’s hard to put into words; like an explosion of sweetness with a hint of tartness that makes it a treat worth savoring.

The krapfen, a pastry simliar to a jelly-filled doughnut, is great for breakfast

Both Annie and Gan Quan help manage the business on a daily basis, with Bock resting more to take care of his health and helping where needed.

Along with seasonal products like stollen and gingerbread, Michael’s also offers gluten free products, made in their own special room with separate equipment to avoid cross contamination. All bread is made fresh daily, with any loaves left unsold by the end of the day given to a local farmer in exchange for fresh eggs.

Along with brezels (center image), Bock and his team bake a whole plethora of breads and other goods worth trying

From the birth of a passion at age 15 to the opening of his bakery in Beijing, Bock’s commitment to the art of German baking is something that can be tasted in all the products he, his wife, and son make every day. After 12 years of going strong in Beijing, Michael’s German Bakery is a place worth visiting to experience the flavor of family business.

Along with Christmas stollen and marzipanstollen, Michael's German Bakery has a number of other German Christmas goodies on offer. These include cinnamon star cookies, gingerbread men, and even a gingerbread house with Hansel and Gretel. These are only available for Christmas, so head there to try them today.

Michael’s German Bakery 麦客天成德国面包房

8-1 Laiguangying Donglu, Cuigezhuang Diqu (near Western Academy of Beijing)
朝阳区崔各庄地区来广营东路8-1号(近京西国际学校)
Hours: 7am-5pm (closed Wed)
Contact: 130 1100 0501 (doubles as WeChat contact)

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Images: Vincent R. Vinci, courtesy of Michael Bock

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