German Franzbrötchen

Step 1

Heat the milk and the butter in a pot on the stove or in the microwave until the butter has melted. The mixture should be slightly warm but not hot or boiling! If the mixture is too hot, let it cool for a few minutes before continuing - otherwise, you might hurt the yeast in the next step. Transfer this mixture into a large bowl and whisk the yeast and the sugar into the milk until the yeast has dissolved.

Step 2

Add the egg, vanilla extract, and salt into the mixture and whisk it together. Slowly add in the flour in small increments and mix for around 5 minutes with the spiral dough hooks of your mixer until the dough forms a ball and doesn't stick to the side of the bowl anymore. The dough should be slightly sticky but not wet. If it's too moist, add a tiny bit more flour.

Step 3

With the dough inside, cover the bowl with a dishtowel and let it sit in a warm spot without a draft until the dough has increased in size (approximately 30-60 minutes).

Step 4

In the meantime, prepare the filling by mixing butter, cinnamon, and sugar together in a medium-sized bowl with the normal beaters of your electric mixer. It's important that the butter is soft.

Step 5

After the dough has risen, add some flour onto a smooth surface and thinly roll out the dough into a rectangle. If you want to make 10 Franzbrötchen, the long side should be approx. 18 inches long. Evenly spread the cinnamon sugar filling on top of the dough using a spatula or a spoon. Be gentle and patient when doing this step so that you don't accidentally rip the dough.

Step 6

Once the rectangle is covered in filling, start rolling the dough from one of the long edges until it forms a tight sausage. Cut off the uneven ends, then cut the dough into trapezoid pieces approx. 1 inch wide on the short edge. Carefully place the dough onto a baking sheet with the long trapezoid side at the bottom. Use the handle of a wooden spoon and press down in the middle of the dough. This will give the Franzbrötchen their unique shape. Let the dough rest for another 20 minutes.

Step 7

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and also prepare the egg wash by whisking one egg in a small bowl with a fork until it is uniform in color.

Step 8

Once the 20 minutes are up, brush the Franzbrötchen with the egg wash and bake them in the oven for approximately 15 minutes. Since every oven is different, your cook time might vary slightly. The Franzbrötchen should be nicely brown.

Step 9

Remove them from the oven and place them on a cooling rack until they have cooled sufficiently. Enjoy!