German Crumb Bun Recipes

STREUSELKUCHEN; GERMAN CRUMB CAKE RECIPE - (3.9/5)

Steps:

• GERMAN YEAST DOUGH: Scald the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. You will see steam rising from the surface of the milk and small bubbles forming around the edges. Remove the pan from heat and let stand until the milk feels warm to your fingertip, about 10 minutes; an instant-read thermometer should register 110 to 120ºF. Sprinkle the yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar into the milk and stir well. Let stand for about 10 minutes, until the yeast is bubbly and foamy. To make the dough using a stand mixer: combine 2-1/4 cups of the flour with the remaining sugar in the bowl of the mixer and add the butter and lemon zest. Attach the flat beater and mix on low speed for about 3 minutes. Add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until the flour looks mealy. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand, add the yeast and eggs, and stir with a rubber spatula to make a moist, thick dough. Switch to the dough hook and beat on low speed for 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 5 minutes, or until the dough becomes sticky and elastic and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Scrape the bowl and the dough hook. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour over the dough and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, 1 hour or more depending in the warmth of your kitchen. Lightly flour your work surface. Dislodge the dough from the bowl with a pastry scraper, scrape it out onto the work surface and turn to coat all surfaces lightly with flour. Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a ball, cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes. The dough is now ready to use. Note: if you are using only half the dough, place the second ball of dough into an airtight container and refrigerate it. The next day, shape and bake it into another Streuselkuchen. MAKE THE STREUSELKUCHEN: Butter a 9-inch square baking pan* (do not use cooking spray - the dough must adhere to the pan). Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to the size of the pan. It will be about ¼ inch thick. Transfer the dough to the pan and pat it onto the bottom and into the corners. Do not make a rim; the dough should be flat. Cover with a kitchen towel. To make the streusel crumb topping, put the flour, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and butter into the work bowl of a food processor (I used my Kitchen Aid mixer with the paddle attachment) fitted with the metal blade. Pulse 5 or 6 times, then let the machine run just until the ingredients begin to form small crumbly masses, about 30 seconds. Do not process beyond the crumb stage. Uncover the dough. Press the crumbs to form clumps the size of large peas, and sprinkle on the top of the dough. Continue making larger lumps of streusel and sprinkling them evenly all over the dough. There will be a generous layer of streusel covering the dough. Cover the Streuselkuchen with a kitchen towel and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Uncover the kuchen and place the pan in the oven. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the kuchen has risen almost to the top of the pan and is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into its center comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately sprinkle the top with a generous layer of vanilla confectioners' sugar. Cool completely on a wire rack. This is at its best when very fresh. Cut into portions with a sharp knife. NOTE: I used a 20cm (8-in) square pan and it worked fine.

OLD-FASHIONED CRUMB CAKE

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Stir together yeast, 1/4 cup warm milk, and 1 tablespoon sugar in bowl of mixer until yeast is dissolved, then let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
• Stir together lemon juice and remaining 3/4 cup milk and let stand until curdled, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add 3 3/4 cups flour to yeast mixture along with salt, eggs, vanilla, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar and mix at low speed until just combined. Add curdled milk and beat at medium speed until a dough forms. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, beating, then continue to beat until dough is silky and elastic, 5 to 8 minutes. (Dough will be very sticky.) Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons flour and cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth). Let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Make topping:
• Pulse together topping ingredients in a food processor until many large clumps form. Transfer to a bowl and chill, covered, until ready to use.
• Form and bake cake:
• Butter a 13- by 9-inch baking dish or pan.
• Stir dough several times with a rubber scraper to release air, then spread evenly in baking dish.
• Sprinkle dough with half of topping, then cover dish with kitchen towel and let dough rise again in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until almost doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Put oven rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Sprinkle remaining topping over top of cake and bake until topping is golden, 55 to 60 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack until barely warm, then cut into squares.

CLASSIC CRUMB BUNS

Steps:

• *Prepare the yeast dough.
• Place water in the bowl of your electric mixer, sprinkle with yeast and add sugar, stir until yeast is dissolved.
• Set aside for 10 minutes or until foam and a few bubbles start to form on the surface.
• In a small saucepan, over low heat, warm the milk and butter until butter just melts.
• Temperature of the mixture should not be more than 105°F Add the 105°F butter/milk into the proofed yeast mixture, stir.
• Add eggs and vanilla and mix to combine.
• Add 1 cup of all purpose flour, the cake flour, 1/4 cup of sugar and the 1/2 tsp salt.
• Beat on low speed until smooth and well blended.
• Add 2 cups of the remaining flour and, with your mixer on slow, blend it in to the mixture.
• Slowly add the remaining flour in 1/4 cup increments until the dough forms a smooth, soft (not sticky) ball that comes away from the sides of the bowl.
• It may be necessary to do this last step by hand with a wooden spoon if your mixer is not a heavy duty model.
• If using the heavy duty mixer, install the dough hook and mix until the dough is smooth, about 3 minutes.
• OR, knead by hand for about 5 minutes on a lightly floured board, it should be smooth and will no longer stick to the work surface.
• Transfer the dough to a bowl that's been well buttered, flip it around a couple times to coat all sides of the ball.
• Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to rise until it's about doubled in size.
• It can also rise overnight in the fridge, but must be allowed to come to room temperature before making crumb buns Using your fist gently punch down the dough to deflate.
• The dough is now ready to form into buns.
• **For the Crumbs.
• While your dough is rising, about 20 minutes before it's done, prepare the crumbs.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed beat the butter, sugars, salt and vanilla until the mixture is well combined, about one minute.
• Add the flour and sprinkle the cinnamon over the top.
• Combine until mixture just forms a crust.
• **For the buns.
• After punching down the dough, divide it into two portions, cover.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion of the dough until it forms a 8x14 inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick.
• Brush the dough lightly with some melted butter and evenly sprinkle 3/4 cup of the crumb mixture over the buttered surface.
• Starting at the long side furtherest away from you fold 1/3rd of the dough over on itself, brush this surface with melted butter, fold the double layer of dough over again to cover the remaining 1/3rd of the dough that's closest to you.
• You will now have a 3 layered dough that's 14 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide.
• Press gently on the dough so the layers adhere and pinch around the edges to seal.
• Cut the rectangle into 7, 2-inch portions.
• Repeat with second half of dough.
• Butter a 9x13x2-inch baking pan, place the buns 1/2 inch apart in the pan.
• Brush the top of each bun with melted butter and sprinkle the remaining crumbs over the mixture allowing some to fall between.
• Gently press the crumbs into the top of the buns.
• Cover pan with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes or unit the dough looks puffy.
• The buns should NOT be touching.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Remove plastic wrap from the buns and bake for about 40 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the crumbs are slightly firm.
• The buns will have spread into one large pull apart pan of buns.
• Allow to cool on a rack for about 10 minutes.
• With a small sharp knife cut along the sides of the pan and carefully remove buns so as not to disturb crumbs.
• Transfer to a rack to cool, just before serving dust with confectioners sugar.
• Cover and store at room temperature for 2 days.
• To freshen wrap in foil and heat in a 300°F oven until just warm.