Buchteln with three different fillings

It’s the time of the year when it’s still summer and already autumn.  If you cross the river Elbe in the morning steam rises slowly from the water. A layer of fog covers the hills but you know it’s gone in 30 minutes when the sun breaks through. The early morning and afternoon light is amazing, the sun sparkles through the trees and casts long shadows. Everything shimmers in a golden tone. But not every day is like this. Sometimes it rains for 24 hours and all you wanna do is stay in bed with a hot cup of tea. Or you start baking to warm you up and comfort you. Yeast baked goods are perfect for this. Sweet, warm, and soft rolls that you can definitely eat in bed if you don’t mind the crumbs.

Buchteln are of Eastern European and Southern German origin, they are a kind of dumpling or baked doughnut. There are stuffed and unstuffed varieties, but I like the stuffed kind most. I usually fill them with sea blackthorn jam, with is probably quite a Northern German thing to do. Sea blackthorn berries are bright orange in colour and very tart, they often grow along the coast but I have seen some here in Dresden, too. Sea buckthorn jam has a very unique texture and taste. It’s usually smooth, silky, and runny and it has a slightly tart flavour with a hint of honey, conifers, and resin. If you can get your hands on it you should try it, but any kind of jam will work here as well. In fact, I split the buchteln because I couldn’t decide what filling to use. I filled five with sea buckthorn jam, five with blackberry jam, and five with speculoos spread.

Buchteln (makes 15)

For the buchteln:
270 ml (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) soy milk
50 g (1/4 cup) sugar
55 g (1/4 cup) coconut oil
420g (3 1/2 cups) flour
20g fresh yeast or 2 teaspoon instant dry yeast
1 /2 teaspoon salt

For the filling:
1 teaspoon of your favourite jam, nut butter, or even cookie spread per buchtel
(15 teaspoons in total)

Method:
Combine soy milk, sugar, and coconut oil in a small pot. Warm gently over low heat until the oil has melted. Let cool until luke warm.

Add the flour to a large bowl. Make a well and add the yeast (even if it’s instant). Pour the liquid mixture into the well and let sit for 10 minutes. Add salt and knead the dough well. It’s enough to knead this dough for 2-3 minutes. It should still be sticky and the gluten will continue to develop while you let it rest and rise. So don’t worry about it being sticky. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 18 x 28 cm square pan (7 x 11 inch) with parchment paper.

Knead the dough for one minute. By now it should be smooth and not stick to your hands anymore. If it still does, add a little bit of flour. Divide the dough into 15 equally sized pieces and roll each into a ball. Place under a kitchen towel, so they won’t dry out. Take one ball and shape it into a flat circle large enough to hold one teaspoon of filling.

Fold over and pinch the edges, then carefully shape into a ball again. Place in the prepared pan, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Cover with a damp kitchen towel again and let rise for another 30 minutes. bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with more sea buckthorn jam or vanilla sauce.

This entry was submitted to Yeastspotting.