Sweet jam-filled rolls (Buchteln)

It’s the understated nature of these sweet milk bread buns that makes them so wonderful. While typically filled with a little fruit jam (usually plum), the Austrian rolls may also include a curd or poppyseed filling.

Credit: Alan Benson

• makes

  16

• prep

  40 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Ace

Ingredients

• 600 g (4 cups) strong bread or pizza flour, plus extra to dust
• 75 g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
• 1 tbsp dried yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 200 ml lukewarm milk
• 1½ tsp natural vanilla essence or extract
• 2 lemons, zest finely grated
• 100 g butter, melted and cooled, plus extra, melted to brush
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 165 g (½ cup) plum jam
• icing sugar, to dust

Resting time 1 hour 40 minutes

Instructions

Combine the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Use a fork to whisk the milk, butter, egg, egg yolk, vanilla and lemon zest together until evenly combined. Add to the flour mixture and use a wooden spoon and then your hands to mix to a soft dough.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes or until it is smooth and elastic and springs back when you push your finger into it.

Brush a large bowl with extra melted butter to grease. Add the dough turning it to coat lightly with the butter. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draught-free place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 190°C (170°C fan-forced). Brush a 22 cm springform pan with melted butter and line the base with non-stick baking paper.

When the dough has doubled in size knock it back by punching it in the centre with your fist. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out the dough into a 32 cm x 32 cm square about 8 mm thick. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 16 x 8 cm squares. Place a heaped teaspoonful of the jam in the centre of a dough square and bring the opposite corners together to enclose the jam, pinching to seal and gently shaping into a ball. Repeat with the remaining dough squares and jam, placing them into the prepared tin as you make them, seam side down.

Brush the rolls with about 1 tablespoon of extra melted butter. Cover with a slightly damp tea towel and place in a warm, draught-free place for 40 minutes or until doubled in size.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until well risen, golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand in the tin for 5 minutes before removing the side of the tin. Serve warm dusted with icing sugar or transfer to a wire rack to cool at room temperature.

Baker’s tip

• These rolls are best eaten the day they are made however they do freeze well – seal in a freezer bag an freeze for up to 1 month.

Anneka's mission is to connect home cooks with the magic of baking, and through this, with those they love. Read our interview with her or for hands-on baking classes and baking tips, visit her at BakeClub. Don't miss what's coming out of her oven via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Photography by Alan Benson. Styling by Sarah O’Brien. Food preparation by Kerrie Ray. Creative concept by Lou Fay.

For more recipes, view our online column, Bakeproof: Austrian baking.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.