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Pastries and Cookies, Basic Recipes, Sweet Pastries

German Milk Buns

by Lisa

Trained pastry chef

Fluffy, golden brown German milk buns studded with chocolate chips and raisins

4.9 (15)out of 5, 15 ratings

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Prep
2 hr 30 min
Bake
10 min
Total
2 hr 40 min
Makes
14 pieces

Classic, fluffy milk buns with chocolate or raisins

Ingredients

Makes 14 pieces

  • 3 ¼ cups400 gall-purpose flourIn German recipes plain flour means soft wheat flour Type 405 unless stated otherwise. In the US use all-purpose flour; in the UK, plain flour.
  • ¾ cup plus 1 tbsp200 mlmilkwarm
  • ¾ oz20 gfresh yeastfresh. German recipes use either a 42 g cube of fresh yeast or a 7 g packet of dry yeast; one cube equals about two packets, so 20 g is about half a cube. In the US use active dry or instant yeast; one ¼ oz (7 g) envelope replaces half a cube of fresh yeast. In the UK, fast action dried yeast (a 7 g sachet per half cube), or fresh yeast from a supermarket bakery counter.
  • 3 ½ tbsp50 gunsalted buttersoftened. German butter is unsalted and has about 82 percent fat. In the US use unsalted butter (European-style unsalted butter is closest); in the UK, unsalted butter.
  • ¼ cup50 ggranulated sugar
  • 3egg yolks
  • ½ tspsalt
  • 2 tspvanilla sugaroptional. 1 packet = 2 tsp (8 g). Vanilla sugar is sugar flavored with real vanilla, sold in small packets of about 8 g. In the US use 1 tsp vanilla extract plus 2 tsp sugar for each 8 g packet; in the UK, vanilla sugar sachets from the baking aisle, or 1 tsp vanilla extract plus 2 tsp sugar per sachet.
  • 1 tsplemon juiceoptional

Add-ins

  • raisinsto taste
  • dried cranberriesto taste
  • chocolate chipsto taste
  • nutsto taste
  • 1large eggbeaten

Method

Starter

  1. Stir together the milk, yeast & one third of the flour. Cover and let it stand for 20 minutes.

  2. Add the remaining dough ingredients and knead for about 10 minutes on the lowest speed.

  3. Cover and let the dough rest for at least one hour.

  4. Add the add-in of your choice (not the egg!), knead it in & let the dough rest, covered, for another 30 to 60 minutes.

  5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, press it together, shape it into a ball and let it rest, covered, for another 15 minutes.

  6. Divide the dough into 2 ½ oz (70 g) portions and roll each into a ball. Place them on a large baking sheet (about 16 × 14 inches / 40 × 35 cm; a US half sheet pan, 18 × 13 inches, works too) lined with parchment paper, cover with a kitchen towel and let them rest for another 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) convection (fan) or 400°F (200°C) conventional (top and bottom heat).

  7. Brush the buns carefully (!) with the beaten egg and put them in the oven. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the milk buns are golden brown.

  8. Right after baking, brush them again with the egg wash to make them shine, then let them cool & enjoy.