The region of Trentino Alto Adige is located in the northern part of Italy, bordering with Austria and Switzerland. It is famous for its beautiful mountains, especially the Dolomites. The recipe I’m posting today is very typical of this region.

Buchteln are delicious and very tender, pull-apart style, jam-filled sweet rolls made of yeast dough. Buchteln are usually filled with apricot jam and perfect for breakfast or as a snack. You prepare them separately and then they are placed together in a mold and when baked they expand, as you can see in the photo.

Austrian friends I had when I lived for a year in Bologna told me that these rolls are also very typical across the border, in Austria, and the way they prepare them is identical.

The process can be a little long, because the yeast dough needs to rise, but I assure you it is definitely worth the wait and the taste is quite unique and the texture is fluffy, super soft and airy.

INGREDIENTS

480 gr Manitoba flour

170 ml fresh whole milk

120 gr apricot jam

50 gr unsalted butter + a bit more for the bottom of the mold  

50 gr granulated white sugar

3 eggs

50 gr baker’s yeast

15 gr salt

METHOD

Warm the milk in a big pot and dissolve the yeast in it. Add the sugar and let it rest for 15 minutes. Add the eggs to this mix, butter (you have to melt it first, and salt. Now sift the flour and combine it with the rest of ingredients. Knead the dough until smooth. Let it rise for 20 minutes inside the oven, without any heat.

Weigh the dough and divide it into 12 equal parts. Flatten with a rolling pin and put a teaspoon of jam in the middle and roll it up to form a bun. Put the buns in a bowl or mold with some melted butter on the bottom, cover them with a cloth and let them rest for 20 minutes.

Bake the buns for 30 minutes at 180ºC in the center rack, with heat both above and below, and no air circulation. When baked, let them cool and sprinkle them with powdered sugar.

I hope you like them as much as I do!

Are you going to prepare it? Don’t hesitate to tag me on Instagram