German Sticky Buns (Schnecken) Recipe | PBS Food

German Sticky Buns (Schnecken)

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    Ingredients

  • For the dough
  • 50g/2oz unsalted butter
  • 250ml/9fl oz milk
  • 4 heaped tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp dried fast acting yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 large free-range egg, plus 1 yolk, beaten lightly
  • 450g/1lb plain flour
  • oil, for greasing
  • For the sticky topping
  • 175g/6oz unsalted butter
  • 175g/6oz soft brown sugar
  • 100g/3½oz golden syrup
  • 100g/3½oz chopped pecans
  • For the fruit filling
  • 55g/2oz sweetened dried cherries
  • 85g/3oz raisins
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 225g/8oz caster sugar
  • 55g/2oz unsalted butter, melted

    Directions

  1. For the dough, melt the butter in a small saucepan over a low heat, then add the milk and sugar and heat until tepid.
  2. Pour the mixture into a jug and add the yeast. Leave to rest for 8-10 minutes.
  3. Stir the salt and the eggs into the yeast mixture.
  4. Place the flour in a free-standing food mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Add the yeast mixture and mix on a low speed working through the initial wet stage until the dough begins to pull away cleanly from the sides of the bowl and is smooth.
  5. Place in a large greased bowl, cover with an oiled cling film, and prove for two hours or more, or until tripled in volume.
  6. Grease a 23 x 33 x 3cm/9 x 13 x 1½in baking tray with oil - if the tin is too shallow, it will ooze over the side.
  7. For the sticky topping, melt the butter, brown sugar and golden syrup together in a pan.
  8. Spread over the base of the greased baking tray and sprinkle over the pecans. Set aside.
  9. For the fruit filling, mix together the cherries, raisins, cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Set aside.
  10. When the dough has risen, knock back and roll out on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle of 30 x 38cm/12 x 15in.
  11. Brush with the dough with melted butter, then evenly spread over the fruit. Roll up, starting with the long side, into a sausage shape.
  12. Place the sausage, seam-side down, and cut into 12 equal pieces using a very sharp knife. Place cut-side up into the prepared pecan pan.
  13. Cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise for about 40 minutes.
  14. Preheat the oven to 200C/fan oven 180C/400F/Gas 6.
  15. Bake the buns for about 35-40 minutes. If browning too quickly, cover with some foil.

Tips/Techniques

Equipment and preparation: you will need a free-standing mixer fitted with a dough hook.
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