Pie and Pastry Bible (145 page)

Make the dough (page 516) at least 1 day ahead.

MAKE THE STICKY BUN FILLING

In a small heatproof bowl, place the raisins and rum. Add the boiling water, cover, and let stand for at least 1 hour. When ready to fill the dough, drain the raisins, reserving the soaking liquid for the glaze.

In another bowl, combine the chopped nuts, sugars, and cinnamon.

MAKE THE STICKY BUN TOPPING

In a small bowl, stir together the butter, brown sugar, and syrup until well mixed. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan with a small offset spatula or rubber scraper.

FILL THE DOUGH

On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough into a 14- by 12-inch rectangle. Brush it with the lightly beaten egg and sprinkle it with the sugar mixture and raisins. Roll it up from a short end, brushing off excess flour as you go.

Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 4 pieces, then cut each piece into thirds. Place 3 pecan halves on one cut end of each roll and place it, pecan side down, in the prepared pan. Press the tops down so that the sides touch. Cover the buns with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with nonstick vegetable spray or buttered. Let the buns rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours or until they reach the top of the pan.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. (400°F. if using a dark pan) at least 30 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the lower level and place a baking stone or baking sheet (lined with foil to catch any bubbling caramel) on it.

MAKE THE STICKY BUN GLAZE

In a small saucepan over high heat, or in a 2-cup heatproof measuring cup in a microwave oven on high power, reduce the raisin soaking syrup to 1 tablespoon. Add the butter and stir until melted. The glaze should be lukewarm when brushed onto the buns.

Brush the buns with the glaze. Place the pan on the hot stone or baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 375°F. and bake for 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. To keep the buns from becoming too brown, cover them loosely with foil after the first 7 minutes.

Let the buns cool in the pan for 3 minutes before unmolding them onto a serving plate or foil-lined counter. They can be eaten at once, or reheated later in a 350°F. oven for 15 minutes, loosely wrapped in foil, or in a microwave oven on high power for 30 seconds, wrapped in a damp paper towel.

STORE

Airtight, room temperature, up to 2 days; frozen, up to 3 months.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

See page 518.

AUSTRIAN BUCHTELN

(BUCHtel)

T
hese ethereal, sweet, yeasty little rolls contain the same ingredients as brioche but are lighter because they have less egg and butter and more tender because they use a softer bleached flour. Proof that Austrians adore their sweet pastry is that
buchteln,
fresh and warm from the oven, are sometimes served as dinner.

Buchteln
have a long history. In the old days, they were called “lottery” because lottery tickets were baked into the centers. Nowadays, some people tuck in a tiny dollop of prune or apricot preserves before baking instead. My favorite way to enjoy
buchteln,
however, is plain uninterrupted fluff, floating on a pool of vanilla-imbued cream sauce. The warm buns soak it up like little sponges, becoming even more tender.

I discovered
buchteln
at Hawelka, the oldest student café in Vienna, where they are the house specialty. They only make
buchteln
between 9:30 in the evening and midnight. There is such a great demand for them one feels privileged to be served, despite what is always a very long wait. I was told at first with utter conviction by the waiter that it would be forty-five minutes, then I was told ten minutes more, then just a few more minutes, and then, “I have no idea!” Finally I confronted the owner and pleaded. She handed over the plate she held, obviously intended for someone else. They were so wonderful I didn’t care.

EQUIPMENT

A 9- by 2-inch round cake pan, well buttered
^*

To proof the yeast, in a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the milk (ideally a tepid 100°F. if using fresh yeast, a little warmer, 110°F., if using dry; do not use hot milk, or the yeast will die), the powdered sugar, and yeast. If using fresh yeast, crumble it slightly while adding it. Set the mixture aside in a draft-free spot for 10 to 20 minutes. By this time, the mixture should be full of bubbles. (If not, the yeast is too old to be useful and you must start again with newer yeast.)

In a medium heavy saucepan, over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons (1 ounce/ 30 grams) of the butter. Set it aside in a warm spot so that it stays liquid but is no hotter than tepid.

MAKE THE DOUGH

In a large bowl, using your hand or a wooden spoon, stir together the sugar and eggs. Warm the remaining ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons of milk so that it is no hotter than tepid and stir it in. Stir in the yeast mixture and then about ¼ cup of the flour, stirring until smooth. Set it aside briefly.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 1¾ cups of flour and the salt until well combined. Stir it into the dough until incorporated. Continue stirring
for about 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth, shiny, elastic, and cool to the touch. It will be very sticky. Add the melted butter and stir it into the dough for about 5 minutes, until it becomes very smooth, soft, and elastic. It will still stick slightly to your hands.

FIRST RISE

Place the dough into a lightly buttered 4-cup bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place (80° to 85°F. but not above, or the yeast will develop a sour taste) until doubled in bulk, ½ to 2 hours. (The dough will rise to fill about three quarters of the bowl.)

Gently deflate the dough by kneading it a few times. It now can be shaped and baked, although it is preferable to refrigerate it for at least 1 hour to firm the dough and make it easier to handle; or cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. If it has been refrigerated, gently knead it to deflate it before shaping.

SHAPE THE BUCHTELN

Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and strain it into a small bowl. (A small custard cup works well.) Allow it to cool until no hotter than tepid.

Empty the dough onto a floured counter. It will still be slightly sticky. Flour your hands lightly if necessary. Divide the dough into 28 pieces; the dough weighs about 21 ounces (604 grams), so each roll should be about 0.75 ounce (21 grams), or a rounded tablespoon. A 1½-inch biscuit cutter works well to cut the dough into pieces. Roll each piece between the palms of your hands into a ball. (They will be 1¼ inches in diameter.) Dip each dough ball into the melted butter, turning it to coat it all over, and place it in the cake pan. There will be a few spaces, which will fill in during rising.

Cover the dough lightly with buttered plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm place until the top of the dough comes to ½ inch from the top of the pan, about 1½ hours.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. (400°F. if using a dark pan) at least 30 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the lower level and place a baking stone or cookie sheet on it before preheating.

Place the pan on the stone or sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Lower the heat to 375°F. and continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Pour about ¼ cup of the sauce onto each serving plate. Unmold the buchteln onto a wire rack and reinvert onto a serving plate or cookie sheet. Gently pull apart the rolls and place about 4, right side up, on the sauce on each serving plate. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar and serve at once.

NOTE

At Bagolyvar (Owl’s Castle) in Budapest, George Lang’s sister restaurant to Gundel, I discovered something very similar to this recipe called Golden Dumplings. It consisted of two layers of torpedo-shaped dough, made with only half the butter. In between the layers was a sprinkling of chopped toasted nuts and sugar.

POINTERS FOR SUCCESS

Use bleached all-purpose flour.

Make sure the yeast is active by proofing it.

Do not allow the dough to rise more than recommended amounts, or it will weaken the structure.