Recipes · Cakes & pastries
Franzbrötchen (Hamburg-Style Cinnamon Pastries)
AI-written · not yet kitchen-tested
Authentic Franzbrötchen use a laminated dough. This home version gets by with a soft yeast dough, and the rest is the same: butter-cinnamon filling, roll, slice, press with a wooden spoon handle. The filling leaks less if the roll is wound tightly.
This recipe was written with AI assistance and has not yet been kitchen-tested. Check quantities and times as you cook, and follow safe core temperatures for meat, poultry, fish and eggs.
Ingredients
- 500 g (4 cup) all-purpose flour
- 1 cube fresh yeast 42 g (1 cube); or 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp, 7 g) instant yeast
- 60 g (2.1 oz) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt level
- 250 ml (1 cup) milk lukewarm
- 80 g (2.8 oz) butter softened
- 1 egg large
- 100 g (1/2 cup) butter softened, not melted
- 100 g (1/2 cup) light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon ground, heaping
- 2 tbsp milk
Method
- Crumble the yeast into the lukewarm milk and stir in 1 teaspoon of the sugar until dissolved. Mix the flour, the remaining sugar and the salt, add the yeast milk, softened butter and egg, and knead for 10 minutes into a smooth dough that pulls away from the side of the bowl.
- Let the dough rise in a covered bowl in a warm place for 60 minutes, until it has visibly doubled.
- For the filling, stir the softened butter with the brown sugar and cinnamon into a spreadable paste.
- Roll the dough out on a floured surface into a rectangle of 16 × 12 inches (40 × 30 cm) and about 1/5 inch (5 mm) thick. Spread the filling evenly over it, leaving a 1/2 inch (1 cm) border free. Roll the dough up tightly from the long side.
- With a sharp knife, cut the roll into 12 pieces about 1 1/4 inches (3 cm) wide. Press the handle of a wooden spoon firmly across the middle of each piece until the layers bulge outward.
- Place the pastries cut side up, 2 inches (5 cm) apart, on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper, cover and let them rise for 25 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C) conventional or 350 °F (180 °C) convection.
- Brush the pastries with the milk. With convection, bake both sheets at the same time (second and fourth rack from the bottom, swap them after 8 minutes). With conventional heat, bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack and keep the waiting sheet in a cool place. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the pastries are golden brown and the sugar caramelizes at the edges.
- Let the pastries rest on the sheet for 5 minutes, then loosen them with a spatula and cool on a cooling rack for about 15 minutes. They are best lukewarm.
Tip: The filling leaks less when the butter is soft but not melted and the 1/2 inch (1 cm) border stays free. Loosen any leaked sugar butter from the pan right away; it hardens as it cools and sticks.
Tip: Franzbrötchen are best fresh. The next day you can refresh them for 5 minutes at 325 °F (160 °C) convection.