3. To make the custard filling, make a custard with custard powder, milk and sugar following the instructions on the packet but using only 750 ml/11⁄4 pints (31⁄2 cups) milk. Leave to cool down, stirring occasionally. Stir the raisins into the filling. Line the baking sheet with baking parchment.
4. Preheat the oven. Dust the dough lightly with flour, remove from the bowl and knead again briefly on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough into a rectangle (60 x 40 cm/24 x 16 in) and spread the custard on top. Roll up the dough starting from the short side, cut into slices about 2 cm/3⁄4 in thick and put the slices on the baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Put the baking sheet with the slices in a warm place until they have visibly increased in volume.
Top/bottom heat: about 200 °C/400 °F (preheated),
Fan oven: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated), Gas mark 6 (preheated),
Baking time: about 15 minutes per baking sheet.
5. To make the apricot glaze, rub the apricot jam through a sieve, add the water, boil to reduce and thicken a little while stirring. Brush the pastry with it immediately after removing from the oven. Put the custard snails on a rack to cool down.
YEAST DOUGH
60 | Stutenkerle oder Martinsgänse (yeast pastry figures)
For children (6 pastry men or 6 Martinmas geese/2–3 baking sheets)
Preparation time: about 25 minutes, excluding rising time
Baking time: 15–20 minutes per baking sheet
For the baking sheet:
some fat
baking parchment
For the yeast dough:
200 ml/7 fl oz (7⁄8 cup) milk
100 g/31⁄2 oz (1⁄2 cup) butter or margarine
500 g/18 oz plain (all-purpose) flour
1 packet fast action dried yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar
1 level teaspoon salt
1 medium egg
white of 1 medium egg
To finish the pastry men:
yolk of 1 medium egg
1–4 teaspoons milk
some raisins
To finish the Martinmas geese:
yolk of 1 medium egg
1–4 teaspoons milk
some raisins
some sugar crystals
Per piece:
13 g, F: 18 g, C: 75 g, kJ: 2178, kcal: 521
1. Warm the milk in a small pan and melt the butter or margarine in it.
2. To make the dough, carefully mix together the flour and dried yeast, then add the other ingredients and the warm margarine or butter mixture. Stir with a hand mixer with a kneading hook, first briefly at the lowest setting, then at the highest setting for about 5 minutes until it forms a smooth dough. Cover with a tea towel and put in a warm place until it has visibly increased in volume. Grease and line the baking sheet with baking parchment.
3. Preheat the oven. Dust the dough lightly with flour, remove from the bowl and knead again briefly on a slightly floured work surface. Divide into 6 equal portions and shape into pastry men or geese:
a. To make the pastry men: Shape each portion of dough into a cone about 15 cm/6 in long. Shape the thicker end into a round ball for the head. Put the cones with the rounded end on the baking sheet and press the conical part flat. To make the legs, cut the thin end of the cone in half with a knife and pull slightly apart. To make the arms, make 2 incisions and pull slightly away from the body. Beat together the egg yolk and milk and brush the pastry men with it. Press raisins into the dough for the eyes and buttons.
b. To make the Martinmas geese, take a piece of dough the size of a walnut from each portion for the neck and head. To make the body, shape the dough into a cylinder about 10 cm/4 in long and flatten the ends. Shape the walnut-sized pieces of dough into cylinders about 8 cm/3 in long but with one rounded end. Transfer both cylinders onto the baking sheet and attach the smaller cylinder to the body to form the neck. Press flat and shape the bill and tail using your fingers. Beat together the milk and egg and brush the geese with it. Press raisins in the head to make the eyes and sprinkle the geese with sugar crystals.
4. Put the shapes in a warm place for another 20 minutes to rise again and then put the baking sheet in the oven.
Top/bottom heat: about 200 °C/400 °F (preheated),
Fan oven: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated), Gas mark 6 (preheated),
Baking time: about 15-20 minutes per baking sheet.
5. After baking, slide the pastries, while keeping them on the baking parchment, off the baking sheet and put on a rack to cool down.
YEAST DOUGH
61 | Plaited bun
Classic–for guests (about 12 pieces)
Preparation time: about 35 minutes, excluding rising time
Baking time: about 35 minutes
For the baking sheet:
some fat
For the yeast dough:
250 ml/8 fl oz (1 cup) whipping cream
500 g/18 oz plain (allpurpose) flour
1 packet fast action dried yeast
80 g/21⁄2 oz (3⁄8 cup) sugar
3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar
grated zest of 1 untreated lemon
1 pinch salt
2 medium eggs
white of 1 medium egg
In addition:
yolk of 1 medium egg
2 teaspoons milk
Per piece:
P: 7 g, F: 8 g, C: 38 g, kJ: 1075, kcal: 257
1. To make the dough, warm the cream in a small pan, carefully mix together the flour and dried yeast, add the other ingredients and the warm cream mixture. Stir with a hand mixer with a kneading hook, first briefly at the lowest setting, then at the highest setting for about 5 minutes until it forms a smooth dough. Cover with a tea towel and put in a warm place until it has visibly increased in volume. Grease the baking sheet.
2. Preheat the oven at the top and bottom. Dust the dough with flour, remove from the bowl and knead briefly on a slightly floured work surface. Using two-thirds of the dough, make 3 cylinders about 40 cm/16 in long. Plait the cylinders to make the plaited bun and put on the greased baking sheet. Using a rolling pin, make a depression lengthways along the whole plaited bun.
3. Beat together the egg yolk and milk and brush the depression with a little of this mixture. Now take the rest of the dough and make 3 thin cylinders about 35 cm/14 in long and plait. Put the smaller plait in the depression on the large plait and brush with the egg and milk mixture.
4. Return the plaited bun to a warm place for it to rise again until it has visibly increased in volume. Put the baking sheet in the oven.
Top/bottom heat: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated),
Fan oven: about 160 °C/325 °F (preheated), Gas mark 4 (preheated),
Baking time: about 35 minutes.
5. Put the plaited bun on a rack covered with baking parchment and leave to cool.
Variation: For a raisin plaited bun, briefly knead 200 g/7 oz raisins into the dough after the first rising.
YEAST DOUGH
62 | Mohnstriezel
Popular–suitable for freezing (about 20 pieces)
Preparation time: about 60 minutes, excluding rising time
Baking time: about 60 minutes
For the baking sheet:
some fat baking parchment
For the yeast dough:
200 ml/7 fl oz (7⁄8 cup) water
150 g/5 oz (3⁄4 cup) butter or margarine
500 g/18 oz plain (allpurpose) flour
1 packet fast action dried yeast
75 g/21⁄2 oz (3⁄8 cup) sugar
3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar
For the filling:
300 g/10 oz poppy seeds
400 ml/14 fl oz (13⁄4 cups) milk
40 g/11⁄2 oz (41⁄2 tablespoons) custard powder, vanilla flavour
100 ml/31⁄2 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) milk
2 medium eggs
75 g/21⁄2 oz
(3⁄8 cup) sugar
75 g/21⁄2 oz rusks
For the crumble:
100 g/31⁄2 oz (1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
100 g/31⁄2 oz blanched chopped almonds
100 g/31⁄2 oz (1⁄2 cup) sugar
100 g/31⁄2 oz (1⁄2 cup) soft butter
For the apricot glaze:
3 tablespoons apricot preserve
2 teaspoons water
For the coating:
100 g/31⁄2 oz icing (confectioner’s) sugar
1–2 tablespoons water
Per piece:
P: 9 g, F: 21 g, C: 47 g, kJ: 1747, kcal: 417
1. Warm the water in a small pan and melt the butter or margarine in it.
2. To make the dough, carefully mix together the flour and dried yeast, then add the other ingredients and the warm margarine or butter mixture. Stir with a hand mixer with a kneading hook, first briefly at the lowest setting, then at the highest setting for about 5 minutes until it forms a smooth dough. Cover with a tea towel and put in a warm place until it has visibly increased in volume.
3. To make the poppy seed filling, put the poppy seeds in the milk, bring to the boil and leave to swell for 10 minutes. Stir the milk into the custard powder and add to the poppy seed and milk mixture together with the eggs and sugar. Bring briefly to the boil again and allow to cool down. Put the rusks in a freezer bag, close it and hit them with a rolling pin to turn them into crumbs. Stir the rusk crumbs into the poppy seed mixture. Grease the baking sheet and line it with baking parchment.
4. Heat the oven top and bottom. Dust the dough lightly with flour, remove from the bowl and knead again briefly on a slightly floured work surface. Roll out into a rectangle (40 x 30 cm/ 16 x 12 in).
5. Spread the poppy seed mixture on top, leaving 1 cm/3⁄8 in uncovered round the edges. Roll up the rectangle loosely starting with the longer side and put on the baking sheet with the "seam" facing upward.
6. To make the crumble, sift the flour in a mixing bowl, add the almonds, sugar and softened butter and stir with a hand mixer with whisk until the crumble is the right texture.
7. Brush a little water on the plaited bun, sprinkle the crumble on top and press down. Leave the plaited bun to rise again until it has increased visibly in volume. Put the baking sheet in the oven.
Top/bottom heat: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated),
Fan oven: about 160 °C/325 °F (not preheated), Gas mark 4 (not preheated),
Baking time: about 60 minutes.
8. To make the apricot glaze, bring the jam to the boil with a little water to reduce and thicken a little. Brush the plaited bun with it immediately after taking it out of the oven. Put on a rack to cool down.
9. To make the coating, sift the icing sugar, add water and stir until thick and smooth. Brush the plaited bun with it.
Tip: To make 2 small plaited buns, cut the rectangle of dough in half, making 2 rectangles each 30 x 20 cm/12 x 8 in. Spread the poppy seed mixture on top, then continue as for the large plaited bun.
YEAST DOUGH
63 | Feiner Gugelhupf
Classic–for guests (about 16 pieces)
Preparation time: about 35 minutes, excluding rising time
Baking time: about 60 minutes
For a gugelhupf mould (diameter 24 cm/91⁄2 in):
some fat
For the yeast dough:
200 ml/7 fl oz (7⁄8 cup) whipping cream
200 g/7 oz (1 cup) butter or margarine
500 g/18 oz plain (allpurpose) flour
1 packet fast action dried yeast
150 g/5 oz (3⁄4 cup) sugar
3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar
3 drops lemon essence
1 pinch salt
4 medium eggs
150 g/5 oz raisins
150 g/5 oz currants
100 g/31⁄2 oz chopped blanched almonds
In addition:
some icing (confectioner’s) sugar
Per piece:
P: 7 g, F: 20 g, C: 47 g, kJ: 1663, kcal: 397
1. Warm the whipping cream in a small pan and melt the butter or margarine in it.
2. To make the dough, carefully mix together the flour and dried yeast, add the other ingredients (except for the raisins, currants and almonds) and the warm margarine or butter mixture. Stir with a hand mixer with a kneading hook, first briefly at the lowest setting, then at the highest setting for about 5 minutes until it forms a smooth dough. Add the raisins, currants and almonds and stir briefly. Cover with a tea towel and put in a warm place until it has visibly increased in volume. Grease the gugelhupf mould.
3. Preheat the oven at the top and bottom. Knead the dough briefly with a hand mixer with kneading hook at the highest setting, transfer to the gugelhupf mould and put in a warm place until it has visibly increased in volume.
Top/bottom heat: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated),
Fan oven: about 160 °C/325 °F (not preheated), Gas mark 4 (not preheated),
Baking time: about 60 minutes.
4. Leave the cake in the mould for about 10 minutes after taking it out of the oven, then remove from the mould and put on a rack to cool down. Dust with icing sugar when cool.
Variation: As an alternative to almonds, raisins and currants, 100 g/31⁄2 oz candied cherries, 200 g/7 oz dried apricots (both chopped coarsely) and 50 g/2 oz chopped pistachio nuts may be used.
YEAST DOUGH
64 | Fruit pizza
Fruity–sophisticated (about 20 pieces)
Preparation time: about 50 minutes, excluding rising time
Baking time: about 30 minutes
For a baking sheet (40 x 30 cm/16 x 12 in):
some fat
For the yeast dough:
250 ml/8 fl oz (1 cup) milk
400 g/14 oz (4 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 packet (42 g) fresh yeast
50 g/13⁄4 oz (4 tablespoons) sugar
3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar
50 g/2 oz (4 tablespoons) soft butter
For the topping:
250 g/9 oz white grapes
250 g/9 oz pears
500 g/18 oz apples
1 jar or tin plums (drained weight 385 g/131⁄2 oz)
1 small tin apricot halves (drained weight 240 g/ 9 oz)
For the crumble:
250 g/9 oz (21⁄2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
175 g/6 oz (7⁄8 cup) sugar
3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar
200 g/7 oz soft butter
Per piece:
P: 5 g, F: 14 g, C: 59 g, kJ: 1633, kcal: 390
1. To make the dough, warm up the milk in a small pan. Sift the plain flour into a mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Crumble the yeast into it and add the sugar and 100 ml/31⁄2 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) of the warm milk. Using a fork, carefully stir a little of the surrounding flour into the 3 ingredients in the well and leave to stand for about 15 minutes at room temperature for the yeast to work.
2. Then add the other ingredients to make the dough and stir with a hand mixer with kneading hook, first briefly at the lowest setting, then at the highest setting for about 5 minutes to make a smooth dough. Cover with a tea towel and put in a warm place until it has visibly increased in volume. Grease the baking sheet.
3. To make the topping, wash all the fruit and leave to drain. Cut the grapes in half and remove the seeds. Peel the apples and pears, cut into quarters, core and cut into slices. Thoroughly drain the apricots and plums separately in a colander and cut into pieces.
4. Preheat the oven. Dust the dough with a little flour, remove from the mixing bowl and knead again thoroughly on a slightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough on the greased baking sheet and arrange the fresh fruit in separate groups according to the variety.
5. To make the crumble, stir the flour, sugar and softened butter with a hand mixer with whisk until the crumble has the right texture and spread evenly over the
fruit. Put the baking sheet in the oven.
Top/bottom heat: about 200 °C/400 °F (preheated),
Fan oven: about 180 °C/350 °F (preheated), Gas mark 6 (preheated),
Baking time: about 30 minutes.
6. Put the baking sheet on rack and leave the fruit pizza on it to cool.
Tip: Other fruit that is in season or even tinned fruit may be used. In all, about 1.6 kg/31⁄2 lb fruit is needed.
YEAST DOUGH
65 | Streuselkuchen aus Thüringen (Thuringian crumb cake)
sophisticated (about 20 pieces)
Preparation time: about 35 minutes, excluding rising and cooling time
Baking time: about 20 minutes
some fat
For the yeast dough:
200 ml/7 fl oz (7⁄8 cup) milk
50 g/2 oz (4 tablespoons) butter or margarine
375 g/131⁄2 oz (33⁄4 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 packet fast action dried yeast, 50 g/13⁄4 oz (4 tablespoons) sugar
3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar
1 medium egg
20 g/1 oz (2 tablespoons) butter
For the crumble:
300 g/10 oz (3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
150 g/5 oz (3⁄4 cup) sugar
3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar
200 g/7 oz (1 cup) soft butter or margarine
10 g/1⁄2 oz (1⁄4 cup) cocoa powder
For pouring:
125 ml/4 fl oz (1⁄2 cup) milk
60 g/21⁄2 oz (5 tablespoons) butter
For finishing:
100 g/31⁄2 oz (1⁄2 cup) butter, icing (confectioner’s) sugar
Per piece:
P: 5 g, F: 19 g, C: 38 g, kJ: 1443, kcal: 345
1. Warm the milk in a small pan and melt the butter or margarine in it.
2. To make the dough, sift the flour into a mixing bowl and carefully stir in the dried yeast, then add the other ingredients and the warm margarine or butter mixture. Stir with a hand mixer with a kneading hook, first briefly at the lowest setting, then at the highest setting for about 5 minutes until it forms a smooth dough. Cover with a tea towel and put in a warm place until it has visibly increased in volume. Grease the baking sheet.