Niederrheinische Stütchen Lower Rhenish Sweet Buns Recipes

NIEDERRHEINISCHE STüTCHEN (LOWER-RHENISH SWEET BUNS)

Steps:

• Sieve flour into a large bowl and make a well into the middle.
• Crumble yeast into the well and add 2 teaspoons of the sugar and 4 tablespoons of the milk to it. Mix gently with a fork, adding just a little from the flour, to build the sponge. Cover and set aside for 15 minutes in a warm place.
• Add the rest of the sugar and milk, the very soft butter, eggs, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well.
• Knead the dough with hands for about 5 to 10 minutes. Use some additional flour, if the dough is too sticky. The dough is ready, if the consistency is elastic and bubbles occur while kneading. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 40-50 minutes or until doubled in volume.
• Meanwhile wash raisins and pat dry on paper towels. Line out a baking tray with parchment paper.
• Knead the dough again and mix with the raisins. Divide the dough into 12-14 parts and from round buns.
• Place the buns on the baking tray, but leave enough space between the buns. Cut the upside crosswise with a knife and brush the buns with melted butter. Let rise for another 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile preheat oven (430 F, 220 C).
• Bake Stütchen in the middle of the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

BAVARIAN ROHRNUDELN (SWEET DOUGH BUNS FILLED WITH JAM) RECIPE - (4.4/5)

Steps:

• Heat the milk no more than 105°F. I use rapid rise yeast, that I like to proof by adding half the vanilla sugar with the warmed milk--allow to become foamy, about 5 to 10 minutes. Otherwise, if using instant yeast, you can skip this and add it right into the dry ingredients. I also use my stand-mixer with a dough hook for mix the dough, or you can also use a bread machine. Otherwise, do as our grandparents did, and mix by hand. Standmixer directions: Add the dry ingredients, and add yeast (I use rapid rise) Add the warm milk, eggs and melted butter to dry ingredients, mix until combined. The dough should come "clean" from the mixing bowl, so add additional flour if necessary (one tablespoon at a time). Knead for about five minutes. Place into an oiled bowl, over and let rise for about an hour (if using instant yeast, this might take a bit longer) Spray a glass square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, or line with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add the remaining melted butter and sugar to the bottom of the pan, and whisk to combine. Dump the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times by folding the dough over, turn in half, press with the heels of your hands, folder over and repeat a few times. Pull each piece of dough into a circle (doesn't have to be perfect). Spoon one teaspoon of jam-- be careful not to overfill). Grab a corner and pull over the jam, and do this until the jam is covered. Grab the corners and lightly twist to seal. Dip each roll into the butter/sugar mixture as you place it into the pan. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Optional: Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and brush onto the baked rolls. Best served slightly warm. Store in an airtight container, but do not refrigerate.

SWEET BUNS

Steps:

• Mix together first 5 ingredients until yeast is completely dissolved.
• Stir in enough flour to make a fairly stiff dough. Cover with a cloth and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours.
• Punch down the dough and form into balls (about the size of a small egg for dinner rolls, a bit larger for sandwich buns). Place in a greased baking pan and let them rise till doubled.
• Bake at 400F, 10-15 minutes or until golden.

GRAMMA'S OLD-FASHIONED CINNAMON SWEET ROLLS

Steps:

• In a liquid measuring cup, heat milk/water to "wrist-warm" (do NOT boil; just warm).
• Add yeast and 2 tablespoons of the sugar (you'll use the rest in the next step). Stir the yeast and sugar; let this "work" for about 5 or 10 minutes. You should have some bubbly, frothy stuff in the cup when you return. (If not--your yeast is no good, dump it out and get better yeast.).
• Pour yeast-milk into mixing bowl, and add remaining sugar, butter, eggs, salt and 1 cup of the flour. Using beater, mix this mess for about a minute.
• Switch to the paddle (flat beater) or a dough hook, and add remaining flour one cup-at-a-time. The dough will form a ball, and feel slightly sticky. You may not need the entire 5 1/2 cups (depends on humidity, too).
• Fill medium glass bowl with hottest tap water. If your oven can be adjusted to 100 degrees, set it to 100 degrees. Also, if your oven has a light, turn it on; place the hot water on the bottom of the oven. Close the door.
• Grease a large, glass bowl. Remove dough from mixing bowl to a floured table/counter-top; knead for 1 minute; form into a ball and place in greased bowl, turning to get grease on all sides. Cover bowl loosely with a sheet of plastic wrap.
• Turn off 100 degree oven, place bowl of dough into oven; close the door. Set the timer for 1 hour.
• Clean up the mess BUT leave floured counter-top AS IS.
• At the end of one hour the dough should've risen to about double the size. If not, let it go for another 15 minutes (set the timer--it's easy to forget---out of sight, out of mind!).
• Gather filling ingredients: 1/4 cup of melted butter; cinnamon; brown sugar; raisins and/or chopped nuts (optional).
• Punch down the down; remove from bowl; with a large butcher knife, cut dough into two equal parts. Set one aside (cover with plastic wrap).
• Grease two 13x9-inch pans with BUTTER (no substitutes are allowed -- this is GRAMMA's recipe). :-) humor me, okay?.
• On floured counter-top, lay dough and with a rolling pin, shape & roll into large rectangle, oh about 8 x 16 inches or a bit larger, keep thickness consistent throughout.
• Pour HALF of the melted butter over this, and spread with a pastry brush, right out to the edges. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon (like 1-2 tablespoons), then a handful of brown sugar, spreading it evenly with fingers; right to the edges!
• Sprinkle some raisins and chopped nuts -- if using. Keep these closer to the long side closest to you.
• HERE's THE HARD PART: Starting at the side closest to you, LOOSELY roll away from you. Loosely is the KEY word. Tuck in any runaway raisins or nuts.
• Use that big knife to divide the roll in half in the middle. Then cut each half into SIX equal portions, for a total of 12 rolls.
• Starting in the middle of the roll (nicest shaped rolls) and working to the sloppy outside roll piecs, set them along the outside edges of the buttered pan, spacing evenly in the pan. Put the two end rolls in the very center of the pan. Set the cut side DOWN (so the top looks flat-ish). Set this pan on the stove for now.
• Repeat with remaining dough; vary the ingredients -- if you skipped raisins or nuts, maybe add some to this pan of rolls.
• Check if the water in the oven is still warm, if not dump out and start with fresh hot water. Put plastic wrap on both pans (re-use the other piece), and pop in the warm oven. Set the timer for 45 minutes. Go do something productive---clean the counter-top before all that stuff gets hard! :-D.
• When the rolls have risen to the top of the pan (or a smidgen over), remove them from the oven, preheat oven to 350. When it's warm bake them for 20 minutes; tops will be golden brown.
• Cool on a rack; then frost with a cream cheese/butter cream frosting (slather it on thick like Gramma does for the grandkids!).
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