Austrian Buchteln: Pull-Apart Jam-Filled Sweet Rolls That Keep All Week

Whisk the flour, sugar, yeast and salt together in a large bowl. Add the warm milk, egg yolks, softened butter, vanilla and lemon zest.

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup whole milk, warmed to 110°F
• 2 large egg yolks
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus 3 tablespoons melted for brushing
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 3/4 cup thick apricot or plum jam
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, sugar, yeast and salt together in a large bowl. Add the warm milk, egg yolks, softened butter, vanilla and lemon zest.
2. Mix to a rough dough, then knead on a lightly floured counter for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth, springy and only slightly tacky. It is an enriched dough, so resist adding much extra flour.
3. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour.
4. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish. Punch the dough down and divide it into 16 equal pieces.
5. Flatten each piece into a 3-inch disc in your palm, spoon a scant teaspoon of jam into the center, then gather the edges up over the filling and pinch them firmly shut. Roll between your palms to seal.
6. Dip each roll in the melted butter and arrange them seam-side down in the dish, spaced just barely apart so they fuse as they rise.
7. Cover and let rise again until puffed and touching, 35 to 45 minutes. Meanwhile heat the oven to 350°F.
8. Bake until deep golden on top and cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes. If they are browning fast at 20 minutes, tent loosely with foil.
9. Cool in the dish for 15 minutes, then dust heavily with powdered sugar and pull apart to serve. Stored covered at room temperature they stay soft for 4 days, and a single roll warmed for 10 seconds tastes freshly baked.
10. Buchteln are Bohemian in origin and Viennese by adoption, traditionally baked packed tight in a dish so the sides steam soft while only the domed tops brown. That construction is what makes them such good keepers: with most of their surface protected, they resist staling in a way that individually baked rolls never do. A tray made on Sunday evening quietly covers a week of lunchbox desserts.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 356 kcal
• Protein: 7g
• Fat: 12g
• Carbohydrates: 55g
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 18g
• Sodium: 160mg