The Germans know how to bake, and Buchteln is a perfect example of that. I do fantasize a little about one day opening up a German Bakery…amongst my list of other things I want to be when I grow up. I found Das Cookbook right after I came home from Germany and realized that I could not live one more day without German pretzels in my life. No where, NO WHERE in St George sells a real, fresh German pretzel so I set out to learn how to make them and this cookbook has been a lifesaver. Not only does it include recipes for classics like Pretzels, Buchteln and Spatzle, but it has other amazing recipes-all with a slight Californian twist SO BASICALLY THE MOST PERFECT COOKBOOK FOR ME EVER.
What is Buchteln you ask? It’s magical. It’s delicious. It’s what you daydream about when you think about rolls. Basically the Germans (I think technically the Austrians came up with these but…eh) decided to just go ahead a pre-fill a sweet dinner roll with jam and then slather butter all over the outside so all you have to do is grab one and eat it as soon as their done baking.
SEE MORE: Part 1 of #thedeutschlandadventure: Munich
Those brilliant Germans…or Austrians. Those brilliant ancestors of some of us! They knew how to live. Buchteln is exactly what you want to make if you have something like homemade strawberry jam, homemade raspberry jam or even a big jar of nutella. With Thanksgiving around the corner and my favorite recipe for cranberry sauce I had a vision this year for my buchteln. Why not pack the rolls with leftover cranberry sauce and serve with cold leftover turkey? You guys, my vision was also brilliant, so I had to share.
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 cup whole milk, lukewarm (105-115 degrees F)
- 5 tablespoons (2 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 1/4 cups all purpose flour, divided, plus more for dusting
- 3/4 cranberry sauce
- 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
- In a small bowl, sprinkle yeast over the milk. Allow to sit for a minute before stirring to combine. Let sit until frothy, 5-10 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together 5 tablespoons butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, egg yolks, and salt. Mix in the milk and frothy yeast. While mixing on low, slowly add 1 cup of the flour. Once combined, slowly add in the remaining 3 3/4 cups flour. Scrap down the bowl as needed. Remove the paddle attachment and replace it with the dough hook. Mix on low until the dough is smooth and soft. It will be sticky. With buttered hands, transfer the dough to a buttered large bowl, turning to coat. Cover with a towel and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, use buttered hands to fold one side of the dough towards the middle. Fold the opposite side over it, then repeat with the remaining two sides. Flip the dough so the smooth part is now on top. Cover and allow to rise for 15 minutes. Repeat the folding process again, flip, then cover for another 15 minutes. (You can leave the dough overnight at this point)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9×13 inch glass baking dish.
- On a lightly floured surface, form the dough into a 12×12 inch square. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces by cutting 4 equal strips vertically and 6 horizontally.
- Take one piece of dough and gently stretch it into a flattened square. Place about 1 teaspoon of cranberry sauce in the middle, making sure to not get any on the edges. Gently pinch together the edges over the jam to seal. Place in prepared baking dish, seam side down. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Pour the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter evenly over the rolls. Cover with a towel and allow to rise for 30 minutes. (You can also refridgerate overnight at this point)
- Bake uncovered in preheated oven until baked through and golden brown, 24-28 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes before dusting with powdered sugar and serving.
Go forth and bake!! Your taste buds will thank me!
SEE MORE: GERMAN PRETZELS WITH THE BENSONS
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