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GermanAuthentic Cuisine

Franzbrötchen

Serves 4 to 6 Pastry vegetarian, Breads & Pastry

Franzbrötchen

Franzbrötchen hails from the bustling city of Hamburg, where it has become a beloved breakfast staple and a sweet nod to indulgence. This pastry, with its tender layers and cinnamon-sugar swirl, is a morning ritual in many households. Crafted with a generous hand of butter and a hint of cinnamon, it captures the essence of comfort and warmth, often enjoyed with a steaming cup of coffee.

Expect a flaky, buttery exterior that gives way to a soft, cinnamon-scented heart. The sweetness is balanced by a slight saltiness, creating a harmonious bite that invites a second helping without hesitation. Each Franzbrötchen is a small masterpiece, celebrating the quiet joy of home baking in the German tradition.

Ingredients

  • 400 gflour
  • 200 mlmilk
  • 80 gbutter
  • 40 gsugar
  • 20 gyeast
  • 2 tspcinnamon
  • brown sugarfor the swirl
  • 1egg — for glaze

Method

  1. Start by bringing the 80 g of butter to room temperature so it softens, making it easier to incorporate into the dough. Also, warm the 200 ml of milk slightly until it is lukewarm, which will help activate the 20 g of yeast. Crack the egg and let it come to room temperature as well, ensuring it mixes smoothly into the dough.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the lukewarm milk with the yeast and 40 g of sugar. Stir gently until the yeast dissolves completely and the mixture becomes slightly frothy, indicating that the yeast is active. This should take about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the 400 g of flour and the softened butter to the yeast mixture. Mix until a dough begins to form, then add the room temperature egg. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. The dough should spring back when pressed lightly with a finger.
  4. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place until it doubles in size. This should take about 1 to 1.5 hours, depending on the room temperature. The dough is ready when it no longer springs back when pressed gently.
  5. Once the dough has risen, roll it out on a floured surface into a rectangle about 1 cm thick. Spread a thin layer of softened butter over the surface, then sprinkle generously with brown sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, ensuring an even distribution for a consistent swirl in each piece.
  6. Starting from one long side, roll the dough tightly into a log. Cut the log into pieces about 4 cm wide. Press down each piece with the handle of a wooden spoon to create the characteristic Franzbrötchen shape, which should resemble a squashed spiral.
  7. Preheat your oven to 180°C (356°F). Place the shaped pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving some space between each piece to allow for expansion. Let them rest for another 15 minutes to rise slightly.
  8. Bake the Franzbrötchen in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown and the sugar-cinnamon filling is bubbling. The tops should be firm and the bottoms should be lightly caramelized. Remove from the oven and let them cool slightly on a wire rack before serving warm.
Cover of Authentic German Cuisine
From the cookbook

Authentic German Cuisine

This recipe is from Authentic German Cuisine by Yassine Sbiti — the German volume in the ComidaTime International Cuisines series.

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