Franzbrötchen

Be ready for the most buttery and flaky treat ever! Danish pastry called Franzbrötchen. The classic variation, packed with cinnamon, is a speciality exclusively in Hamburg. You can enjoy it along with coffee, for breakfast or just because you want it.

When I’ve moved to Hamburg, my life changed completely. I learned a new language and met a lot of people. Soon I started following the Hamburg clothing style and culture. I greet with “moin” (which stands for hello) and I love the food (currywurst included). I kept my mentality, though. Wink.

However, there is one more thing Hamburg is very famous for. That’s Franzbrötchen. I ate them hundreds of times, but I’ve never made them myself. Franzbrötchen is the most beloved cinnamon pastry in Hamburg. It’s a close relative of the cinnamon rolls, but softer and more buttery.

Franzbrötchen story

There are many discussions and myths about the origins of this cult cinnamon pastry from Hamburg. All stories sound similar and they all reach back to the 19^th century in the era of Napoleon.

As the French army conquered most of Europe, Hamburg included, they missed their pastry treats. Since there wasn’t any French pastry to found, they asked a local baker in Altona (part of Hamburg) to make some for them (some say they asked for croissants). The baker tried his best, utilizing big amounts of butter and sugar, but the result was never perfect for the French. Some say the baker made an attempt by frying it in a pan with sugar and cinnamon.

Anyway, the pastry has never risen. On one hand, it was a tragedy for the French, on the other hand, it was an invention for the people of Hamburg. Either way, you look at it, the fact is, it’s been inspired or influenced by French pastries. Wink.

Moreover, the name Franz (also short for Franzbrötchen) is short for Franzosen, which actually means French. And, like you can figure it out, Brötchen would be a bun or a roll. Franzbrötchen is very typical for northern Germany, especially Hamburg. You can find them at every bakery and cafe.

What is a Franzbrötchen

Making Franzbrötchen from scratch was a whole new level of artisan baking for me. It was kind of a challenge. I love this pastry, the taste of butter, the flaky texture, caramelized sugar and tones of cinnamon. Lovely!

Franzbrötchen is made of Danish pastry dough. Besides flour, sugar, yeast, salt, eggs and cinnamon, a large part of it consists of butter. I always say that butter makes everything better. Wink.

A large amount of butter is folded into the dough. In order to get plenty of layers, the dough and butter need to be folded and rolled out many times. The more turns completed, the more layers of butter and dough are formed. The more layers, the flakier the finished product. Yet, too many turns can make the butter end completely incorporated in the dough. And we don’t want that to happen. This recipe calls for 2 turns.

This Danish pastry is usually served for breakfast, but it is also enjoyed with coffee or tea. It is a beloved snack to go, too. Besides the classic one (the cinnamon), you can find plenty of other varieties. For instance, with crumbles, apples, marzipan, cherries, nuts, pumpkin seeds and chocolate. The choice is amazing.

I think this is a great moment to share some of my other desserts and treats: cherry Charlotte, a gorgeous cinnamon-apple cheesecake, a delicious marzipan liqueur apricot tart, healthy apple-oatmeal crisp slices and chocolate bananas.

Tips how to make a perfect Danish pastry

Making Danish pastry from scratch is quite simple, but sometimes something might go wrong and we start to panic. Wink. Here are some tips, how to make perfect dough and perfect Franzbötchen.

• It is important that the butter “brick” ends up being a similar consistency and workability to the dough. Consequently, it will be easier to roll it out. In other words, the butter should be cold enough so that it doesn’t melt, but soft enough to be flattened and rolled out.
• When the dough breaks and the butter comes out, simply dust with a bit of flour.
• Always start rolling the dough out from the middle. Like that you’ll spread it in an evenly thick layer.
• Remove the extra flour on top of the dough when making the folds to prevent drying out. I’m using a brush.
• Allow the dough to rest and the butter to cool down between the turns.

Last but not least, Franzbrötchen freeze wonderfully. After cutting the roll and creating the form, simply place them on a board and freeze them. Once frozen, transfer them in a plastic bag and keep them in the freezer until ready to use. When you decide to bake them, remove them from the freezer one hour earlier.

Ingredients for 8-12 Franzbrötchen:

• 500 g flour (type 550 (all-purpose flour) or 405 (pastry flour) plus for dusting)
• 42 g fresh yeast or 14 g dry yeast (2 packages)
• 150 ml milk
• 20 ml water
• 110 g caster sugar
• 70 g butter (soft)
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 7 g salt

Ingredients for the butter “brick”:

• 180 g butter (room temperature, soft)
• 15 g flour
• 100 g caster sugar
• 15 g ground cinnamon

Ingredients for the filling:

• 30 g caster sugar
• 5 g ground cinnamon
• a splash of water

Ingredients for the crumbles (optional):

• 100 g flour
• 50 g caster sugar
• 65 g butter (soft)
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
• a pinch of salt
• 1 tsp of orange zest

To begin, prepare the dough. In a larger bowl, combine flour, soft butter, yeast, milk, water, sugar, egg, egg yolk and salt. Either mix it with a hand mixer (dough hooks) or with your hands. Mix or knead until smooth and not sticky. Then, put back in the bowl, cover with plastic foil and put in the fridge for 20 minutes to rest.

Meanwhile, combine all of the ingredients for the butter “brick” in a medium bowl. Using your hands or a hand mixer, mix all of the ingredients until well combined. Then, put the butter mixture between two sheets of parchment paper (plastic foil) and mould it into a square. Use a rolling pin to flatten the butter out into a 15 x 20 cm rectangle. Fold the butter “brick” into parchment paper or foil and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes. The butter “brick” and the dough should be more or less of the same consistency.

Time to laminate the dough

Take the dough out of the fridge and the butter “brick” out of the freezer, as well. On a lightly dusted working surface, roll the dough out (no kneading) into a 30 x 40 cm rectangle. At this point, place the butter at a 45º angle in the middle of the rolled out dough and carefully fold the dough corners over the butter, just like an envelope until completely enclosed.

First turn

Next, dust it with some flour and roll it out again into a 30 x 40 cm rectangle. In your mind imagine three lines dividing your dough into three parts. Like a leaflet. Fold 1/3 of the dough (from the short side) onto the second third (the middle part) and fold the third part on top, so that you end with three dough layers on top of each other. Carefully wrap it in plastic foil and place it in the fridge to rest for 15 minutes.

Now is the perfect time to make the crumbles, if you decided on making them. Simply combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and squeeze them between your fingers. Once everything is combined, rub the mixture between your hands to form the crumbles. Place them in the fridge until ready to use.

Second turn

Furthermore, take the dough out of the fridge, remove the foil and place it on a dusted surface turned for 90º (with the long side towards you). Roll it out into a 35 x 50 cm rectangle. Then, imagine an invisible line in the middle (crosswise) and fold the dough from the side to the middle from both sides. Now, fold one half over the other. You should have 4 layers on top of each other. Wrap it back in the plastic foil and place it in the fridge for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, mix sugar and cinnamon, that you are going to use for the filling. Take the dough out of the oven, remove the foil and lay it on a dusted surface, again, turned for 90º (with the long side towards you). Then, roll out the dough into a 40 x 30 cm rectangle.

Filling and cutting

In order to make the filling stick, brush the dough with a little water and sprinkle it evenly with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Afterwards, roll up the dough from the long side, with the seam ending at the bottom.

Cut the dough roll into 5-6 cm pieces. Then, with a handle of a wooden spoon press in the middle of each piece (parallel to the cut sides), so that the sides turn a bit up. Place the pieces (leaving some space between) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, sprinkle with some extra cinnamon-sugar mixture or add the crumbles (which you’ve made earlier).

Cover with plastic foil and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190º C. Additionally, you can also freeze a couple of them, prior to baking, for later use.

Finally, put the baking sheet in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and caramelized. After they are baked, let them cool down for 10 minutes. Serve these homemade Franzbrötchen for breakfast, snack or as a Sunday treat. They pair great with a cup of coffee, milk or tea.

Enjoy!