My Favorite Italian Seasoning Blend: basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, sage, and thyme
Try this simple and easy recipe for making your own blend of Italian seasoning. In fact, this is the only Italian seasoning blend I use, no more commercial brands! All you need are equal parts of basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, sage, and thyme. Once mixed, store the seasoning in a sealed container for up to a year. Use the seasoning in your favorite pasta dishes, sauces, or for topping your pizzas. I love to add it to my regular bread machine sandwich bread. Try it in your casseroles, soups, salads, sandwiches, chili, and dips. Why not sprinkle it on different meats and veggies prior to roasting?
What is Italian Seasoning? Surprise! Not Italian!
Italian Seasoning Origins
Ok, you got me. The individual herbs in Italian seasoning are typical herbs used in Italian cuisine in Italy. The shocker, however, is they are usually not combined to create an herb mix. Americans created that notion! Much of Italian cuisine only uses one or two herbs (fresh) at a time in cooking. Many pasta dishes use fresh parsley alone as the main herb in the dish.
Italian Seasoning Variations
Over the years of cooking and baking, I’ve learned that most of the time if you want something done to your preference, do it yourself. That goes for mixing your own spice blends. I rarely, if ever, buy premixed spice blends anymore. I know what flavors I like and what I look for in a spice blend recipe. Now, I create my own using my preferred herbs and heat tolerance. Italian seasoning can be a blend of any variation of traditional Italian herbs. Aside from the ones I used in this blog post recipe, you may find dried parsley and even garlic powder in some of those commercial brands.
My Italian Seasoning Inspiration
I admit, Italian seasoning is my favorite herb blend. It is the easiest herb mixture you can make since it uses equal parts of several herbs. I use it almost daily in my soups and salads, on roasted veggies and grilled cheese sandwiches, and in my bread machine sandwich bread. About a decade ago, when I started making my own taco seasoning blend, I thought…”Hmm, if I can make my own taco seasoning blend, what about all of those other common seasoning blends?” After learning about Italian seasoning and what it includes, I decided to make my own with the ingredients I like. In fact, there are some Italian seasoning blends on the market that don’t quite float my boat. Problem solved! Now, I make it using my preferred ingredients.
Italian Seasoning Ingredients
Making Italian seasoning is as easy as mixing equal parts of your favorite dried herbs. This recipe includes basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, sage, and thyme. Boom and done! I use these individual herbs for many other recipes, so I always keep these specific ones on hand in my pantry.
Top Left to Right: rosemary, marjoram, and basil; Bottom Left to Right: thyme, oregano, and sage
Combine the Ingredients
In a small bowl, add 2 teaspoons (2 grams) of each dried herb. You’ll need 2 teaspoons (2 grams) of dried basil, 2 teaspoons (2 grams) of dried oregano, 2 teaspoons (2 grams) of dried marjoram, 2 teaspoons (2 grams) of dried rosemary, 2 teaspoons (2 grams) of dried sage, and 2 teaspoons (2 grams) of dried thyme. Rub each of the dried herbs between your fingers to crush prior to adding to the bowl. Give the mix a good stir with a spoon until well combined. Taste the mixture and increase slightly any preferred herb. This recipe makes ¼ cup which is enough fill a small spice jar.
Mise en Place: all ingredients measured & ready to combine
Final Product!
Can you pick out any of the individual herbs? The individual flakes all have different shapes and textures. I think the rosemary is the most defined since it is relatively long and skinny like tiny twigs. The rubbed sage has a little “furry” look to it. The thyme leaves are thinner and a little greener than the rosemary.
Italian Herb Seasoning Blend
Storing Italian Seasoning
Store the Italian seasoning mix in an airtight container at room temperature for up to year. Keep in mind that the seasoning mix should keep as long as the expiration dates on the individual seasoning packages or bottles. Thus, the newer and fresher the individual seasonings, the longer the mix will keep.
TIP: Stir the mixture well before adding it to a dish, particularly after the mixture has settled.
Usage Suggestions
Use homemade Italian seasoning as you would any commercial version. Flavor your favorite meat and vegetable Italian dishes like pastas, pizzas, and flatbreads. Simmer it in your favorite tomato or cheese sauces. Add it to soups, stews, chilis, and casseroles for an herbaceous hit. Sprinkle it over your salads, sandwiches, and the cheese of your grilled cheese sandwich. Rub it on meat and vegetables before grilling or roasting. I also like it in bean dips or white bean hummus in place of cumin. It’s great for topping your homemade unbaked breads, in the recipe of your bread machine bread, and on cheesy garlic bread prior to baking. It’s so versatile!
Buttery Herb Sauce Suggestion
Here’s a quick and simple way to add flavor and indulgence to simple cooked vegetables. Melt 113 grams (1 stick) of salted butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the Italian seasoning mix. Allow the herbs to bloom in the melted butter over low heat for about 5 minutes. Pour the buttery herb sauce over 1-2 pounds of diced or mashed cooked potatoes or other cooked vegetable like cooked fresh corn. Stir and taste adding additional seasoning, salt, and pepper as desired. Serve while hot.
Final Thoughts
The individual components of this seasoning blend are commonly found in most pantries. There is a nice mix of flavors, but you could certainly add more if that’s your preference. This herb blend is a good seasoning blend that adds plenty of flavor to your favorite Italian dishes or any dish where you want herbs to shine.
Italian Herb Seasoning Blend: 6 Simple Dried Herbs in Equal Parts
Try this simple and easy recipe for making your own blend of Italian seasoning. All you need are equal parts of basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, sage, and thyme. Once mixed, store the seasoning in a sealed container for up to a year. Use the seasoning in your favorite pasta dishes, sauces, or for topping your pizzas. Try it in casseroles, soups, salads, sandwiches, chili, and dips. Why not sprinkle it on different meats and veggies prior to roasting?
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Total Time5 minutesmins
Course: ingredient
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Italian seasoning, dried herbs, seasoning, Italian herb blend, mixed dried herbs
Servings: 4tbsp
Author: Summer
Ingredients
2tsp(2 g) dried basil
2tsp(2 g) dried oregano
2tsp(2 g) dried marjoram
2tsp(2 g) dried crushed rosemary
2tsp(2 g) dried sage
2tsp(2 g) dried thyme
Instructions
In a small bowl, add all the ingredients. Rub each ingredient between your fingers to crush prior to adding it to the bowl. Mix with a spoon until well combined. Taste the mixture and increase slightly any preferred spice or herb.TIP: Stir or shake the mixture well before adding it to a dish particularly after the mixture has settled.
Video
Notes
Storing Seasoning:Store spice mix in an airtight container for up to a year. Keep in mind that the seasoning mix should keep as long as the expiration dates on the individual seasoning packages or bottles. Thus, the newer and fresher the individual seasonings, the longer the mix will keep.Usage Suggestions:This recipe makes about a ¼ cup (4 tablespoons). That’s enough to fill a typical spice bottle from a spice rack. Flavor your favorite meat and vegetable Italian dishes like pastas, pizzas, and flatbreads. Cook it in your favorite tomato or cheese sauces. Add it to soups, stews, chilis, and casseroles for an herbaceous hit. Sprinkle it over your salads, sandwiches, and the cheese of your grilled cheese sandwich. Rub it on meat and vegetables before grilling or roasting. It’s great in bean dips or white bean hummus in place of cumin. Use it as a topping for your homemade unbaked breads, in the recipe of your bread machine bread, and on cheesy garlic bread prior to baking.Buttery Herb Sauce Suggestion:Melt 113 g (1 stick) of salted butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add 1 tbsp of the Italian seasoning mix. Allow the herbs to bloom in the melted butter over low heat for ~5 minutes. Pour the buttery herb sauce over 1-2 pounds of diced or mashed cooked potatoes or other cooked vegetable like cooked fresh corn. Stir and taste adding additional seasoning, salt, and pepper as desired. Serve while hot.
You might be interested in some of these other recipes for homemade spice blends and mixes.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes.
Türkҫe Tahinli Çörek (Turkish Tahini Bun) refers to the traditional Turkish tahini sweet roll made with a simple yeast dough. Each roll is flattened and smeared with a mixture of sesame paste and sugar. Individual rolls are rolled up like a cinnamon roll and coiled to resemble a snail shell. Even with a butter-y, molasses topping and sesame seeds, they are not overly sweet but hit the spot for a grab-n-go satiating breakfast or a quick snack.
Turkey = Türkiye… Officially! 🇹🇷
As an educator and current student of the Turkish language and culture, I feel compelled to teach or share… a little. Turkey, excuse me… Türkiye, has a new approved name. The Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan appealed to the United Nations in 2022 to have an official name change. The request was granted, and the country name is now officially pronounced and spelled like its name in the Turkish language Türkiye (TEWR-key-yay).
Multiple Reasons for a Türkiye Name Change
There are likely many reasons for the name change. First and foremost, it is to honor the country’s name in recognition of its independence in 1923. Soon after in 1928, the Turkish language adopted the Latin-script alphabet from its Arabic script. The enormous language change continued with the Turkish language reform of 1932 where loan words from Arabic and Persia were eliminated, and old Turkish words were revived.
From an outsider’s perspective, the change could also be due to the negative connotation of the word “turkey” in reference to a silly person or the favorite American Thanksgiving bird. In truth, the English animal “turkey” 🦃in Turkish is actually “hindi” 🦃. So, in reality the English word “turkey” means nothing in Turkish or to the Turks. Regardless, the name change in both spelling and pronunciation now reflects the Turkish people (not their influences) and how they want to be identified by others. Merhaba Türkiye!
Türkҫe Tahinli Çörek in Türkiye
Tahinli Çörek (Tahini Buns) are commonly sold by street vendors in Istanbul, Türkiye. Similar versions are found all over Cyprus, Greece, and Armenia. While there are different versions that may include honey and cinnamon on the tops, the basics are pretty much the same. Let’s check them out!
Ingredients for Turkish Tahini Sweet Rolls
milk, yeast, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, salt, butter, tahini (which is sesame paste), molasses and sesame seeds
The ingredients are quite simple. You likely already have them in the pantry. For the dough ingredients, you’ll need milk, yeast, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, salt, and butter. In addition, for the filling, you’ll also need tahini (which is sesame paste). And for the topping, you’ll also need molasses and sesame seeds.
Activate the Yeast
Measure & Heat the Milk
Add 295 milliliters (1¼ cup) of milk to a measuring cup. Heat the milk in the microwave 30-60 seconds or until it reaches 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C).
TIP: Whole is preferred as it tenderizes the dough, adds richness, and helps to maintain softness.
295 ml (1¼ cup) milk
Combine all Yeast Ingredients
In a small bowl, add 7 grams (2¼ teaspoons or 1 package) of active dry yeast. Stir in 25 grams (2 tablespoons) of granulated sugar. From the warm milk, pour in ~59 milliliters (~ ¼ cup). Whisk or stir the ingredients until combined. Set the mixture aside for 10 minutes to become bubbly and frothy.
TIP: If the yeast doesn’t activate (bubbly and frothy), the yeast might be old, or the milk may not be warm enough. If after 15 minutes, you don’t see any changes, it’s time to start over with a fresh batch of yeast.
1. 7 g (2¼ tsp /1 pkg) active dry yeast
4. ~59 ml (~ ¼ cup) warmed milk
2. 25 g (2 tbsp) granulated sugar
5. stir until combined
3. stir until combined
Make the Dough
Combine Dry Ingredients
To the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl is stirring by hand), add 480 grams (4 cups) flour. Whisk in 2 grams (¼ teaspoon) of salt.
1. 480 g (4 cups) all-purpose flour
2. 2 g (¼ tsp) salt
3. whisk to combine
Combine Wet Ingredients
In a small bowl, melt 28 grams (2 tablespoons) of diced butter in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Pour the melted butter into the remaining milk. The combined liquid should be warm 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C). If the mixture has cooled, reheat in the microwave for another 15-20 seconds.
1. 28 g (2 tbsp) butter
2. melted in microwave ~20 seconds
3. stir
Mix & Knead Dry & Wet Ingredients
With the dough hook attached and the machine on low, slowly pour the activated yeast mixture into the flour mixture. Pour in the milk and butter mixture. Use a spatula to scrape down the bowl edges as needed to loosen any flour.
Knead on low to medium speed or by hand on a lightly floured work surface for 10 minutes. The dough should be tacky and pull away from the bowl edges but not sticky. Add flour or water, 1 tbsp at a time, as needed to reach a tacky consistency.
1. with machine on low, add yeast
4. remove dough hook after kneading 10 minutes
2. pour in butter/milk mixture
5. dough is soft and pliable
3. scrape down bowl edges as needed
Cover the Dough & Rest
Mound the dough in the bottom of the bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes. There isn’t much rise only resting time.
1. mound dough in bottom of bowl
2. cover bowl for resting
Make the Sweet Tahini Filling
In asmall bowl, add 384 grams (1½ cup) of tahini (sesame paste/butter). Add 200 grams (1 cup) of granulated sugar. Stir until combined and smooth.
1. 384 g (1½ cup) tahini
2. 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
3. stir until smooth
Preheat Oven & Prepare Baking Pans
Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
1. 2 baking pans
2. line with parchment paper
Divide Dough & Shape into Balls
Divide Dough into Eighths
Scoop the dough out onto an unfloured work surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces; you can eyeball the sizes or weigh them using a food scale. My total dough weight was 831 grams. Dividing the total weight by 8 means each dough ball should weight about 104 grams.
TIP: An unfloured work surface provides friction needed to smooth out the dough balls.
1. scoop dough out onto unfloured work surface
2. divide into 8ths
Roll Each Dough Piece into Smooth Balls
Use your hands and the friction of the work surface to shape each dough piece into a smooth ball. To do so, simply place one hand behind a dough ball and push it along the work surface. A smooth ball forms as it is pushed. Set each dough ball aside on a plate and cover with a towel to prevent drying out.
1. roll each dough ball along work surface to create a smooth ball
2. place smooth balls on plate & cover
Roll Each Dough Ball Flat
Flour the work surface. Use a rolling pin to roll one dough ball into a very flat circle (~14 inches in diameter). Add flour as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking to the work surface. Before the last few rolling pin rolls, wipe off as much flour as you can from the work surface, you want the dough to slightly stick to make it easier to spread on the tahini.
TIP: If the dough creases as you roll, that means dough sections are sticking to the work surface, add plenty of flour. If the dough tears, no worries, it will be rolled up anyway.
1. roll out each dough ball
2. each dough ball should be rolled to ~14-inch circle
Spread on the Sweetened Tahini Mixture
Spread an ⅛ of the tahini mixture which is about ¼ cup. If you want to be precise, the total tahini mixture weight should be around 460 grams and divided by 8 would equal 57 grams per flattened dough. Heat the measured-out tahini mixture in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften it making it easier to spread.
Spoon out small amounts at a time of tahini onto the dough. Use the back of the spoon and push the tahini away from you onto the dough to cover the dough as much as possible. The tahini layer should be very thin as after it’s rolled, the flavor will be very defined. Don’t worry if the dough tears as you spread the tahini, the tears will be covered when the dough is rolled. The tahini may not spread very easily; just smooth out as much as you can using the back of the spoon.
1. place ~¼ cup tahini in a small bowl & heat 30 seconds to thin
2. use back of spoon to smooth tahini on dough
3. should only have a very thin layer of tahini
Roll Like a Cinnamon Roll
Start at one side of the flattened dough. Begin rolling it up tightly into a rope like a cinnamon roll or soft taco.
TIP: If the edge is a little floppy, add a small about of tahini mixture along the floppy edge to act as glue to seal the edge.
1. begin rolling at one edge
2. roll all the way up like a cinnamon roll
3. add a little tahini to dough edge to keep it sealed
Stretch the Rope
Once rolled, place both hands in the center of the rope. Carefully squeeze the rope to stretch it, moving your hands out to the ends of the rope.You should be able to stretch the rope to about 26 inches long. It is resilient so it shouldn’t break or tear.
1. begin squeezing in the center
2. push out as you squeeze to lengthen the rope
3. stretch dough out to ~26 inches
Coil the Stretched Rope
Begin at one end of the rope. Very loosely coil the rope inward. Leave about an ⅛ -inch space between each coil to allow for the dough to expand. Once coiled, press the top of the bun to flatten it out. Tuck the outer end under the coil and pinch to seal it. Then, carefully lift the coiled bun and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Cover the rolls with a towel to prevent drying out. Continue rolling, filling, and shaping another 3 dough pieces. Place only 4 on each baking sheet.
1. begin coiling at one end
4. tuck end under and seal against dough
2. coil all the way to other end leaving space between each coil
5. lift & place roll on baking pan
3. press down on top of roll to flatten somewhat
Add the Toppings
For a molasses topping, in a small bowl, melt 28 grams (2 tablespoons) of butter and stir in 30 milliliters (2 tablespoons) of molasses. Brush the butter and molasses mixture over each roll and sprinkle each with sesame seeds. If you don’t have molasses, you can substitute with honey. Why not a simple egg wash without any sugar? Or, you could brush on the melted butter and add preferred toppings like sesame seeds, cinnamon, or granulated sugar. These are simple options for the toppings with easy substitutions.
TIP: While the molasses is not required, it adds a deep dark coloring to the baked bread along with flavor depth and sweetness.
1. melt 28 g (2 tbsp) butter
2. 30 ml (2 tbsp) molasses
3. brush on topping
4. sprinkle on sesame seeds
Bake Time for the Turkish Tahini Sweet Rolls
I like to bake one batch at a time to ensure even browning. While one batch is baking, I fill and shape the remaining 4 dough pieces. Remember to add the toppings before baking. Bake the batches in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until dark brown.
bake the Turkish Tahini Sweet Rolls
Turkish Tahini Sweet Rolls Hot out of the Oven
Once removed from the oven, you can eat them immediately. They are still good stored at room temperature for a few days or frozen in a sealed bag for several months.
1. 1st batch hot out of the oven
3. evenly spaced tahini rolls throughout
2. uniform brown on top & bottoms
4. traditional stringy tear
Turkish Tahini Sweet Rolls Up Close
Notice the even browning on top and bottom. The molasses enhances the top browning. The sesame seeds add crunch. The butter adds richness and shine. The coils are evenly spaced. Notice the thin layers of tahini throughout. When you pull the coils apart, you’ll see a sort of stringiness to the bread and that’s common since these rolls are a cross between a cookie and a bread.
Turkish Tahini Sweet RollsInternal view of Turkish Tahini Sweet Rolls
Turkish Tahini Sweet Rolls Final Thoughts
We really enjoy these sweet rolls. They are easily transportable, making them a terrific on-the-go treat. While very popular in other parts of the world, they are quite a different treat for Americans. However, if you’re looking for something not too sweet and you enjoy tahini, you should really enjoy these.
Turkish Tahini Sweet Rolls: Baker’s Perspective
These tahini sweet rolls are an interesting and different bread bake from other types of common rolls. There a quite a few steps. Once you begin, there’s not much of a break since there’s no true rising time. Ensure each dough ball is rolled flat. The trick to spooning on a thin layer of sesame paste is heating it to make it thinner and easier to spread. Careful not to stretch the rope too long or there won’t be much dough in between the tahini layers. If the dough is too thin, the baked bread will appear doughy since the tahini did not have much bread to bake into. If you like baking, this is a good bread to try since it’s an iconic street food in Türkiye and other countries nearby. I highly recommend trying it at least once for the unique taste and preparation steps.
Careful not to coil the rope too tightly or you’ll end up with a mountain roll like the one on the right in the following image.
Right: coiled TOO tightly Left: coiled with space in between
Turkish Tahini Sweet Rolls: Taster’s Perspective
We’ve eaten multiple batches of these Turkish Tahini Sweet Rolls. What appealed to us the most was the unique flavors not typical of a traditional American sweet roll. The sweetened tahini layers were interesting, but in a good way. Think of the tahini layer like a smear of sweetened peanut butter in place of cinnamon and sugar in a cinnamon roll. Of course, tahini does not taste like peanut butter, but that’s the consistency and texture. The molasses topping added depth and sweetness to the overall flavor. The sesame seeds highlighted the sesame butter on the inside and added crunch to the overall roll. Technically, while a yeast bread, the texture is more of a cross between a pastry and a cookie. Overall, this is a very nice and enjoyable bread to eat. Since we love tahini, this bread hit the spot for us.
Turkish Tahini Sweet Rolls with Layers of Coiled Sesame Butter
Turkish tahini sweet rolls are made with a simple yeast dough. Each roll is flattened and smeared with a mixture of sesame paste and sugar. Individual rolls are rolled up like a cinnamon roll and coiled to resemble a snail shell. Even with a butter-y, molasses topping and sesame seeds, they are not overly sweet but hit the spot for a grab-n-go satiating breakfast or a quick snack.
480g(4 cups) all-purpose flourfluffed, scooped, and leveled off if using a measuring cup
2g(¼ tsp) salt
28g(2 tbsp) butter
Filling:
384g(1½ cups) tahini / sesame paste
200g(1 cup) granulated sugar
Toppings:
28g(2 tbsp) butter
30ml(2 tbsp) molasses
36g(¼ cup) sesame seeds
Instructions
Activate the Yeast:
Add the milk to a measuring cup and heat in the microwave 30-60 seconds until it reaches 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C).
In a small bowl, add the yeast and sugar. Pour in ~59 ml (~ ¼ cup) of the warmed milk. Whisk or stir until combined. Set aside for 10 minutes or until bubbly and frothy.TIP: If the yeast doesn’t activate (bubbly and frothy), the yeast might be old, or the milk may not be warm enough. If after 15 minutes, you don’t see any changes, it’s time to start over with a fresh batch of yeast.
Make the Dough:
In a stand mixer bowl (or large bowl), add the flour and salt. Whisk until combined.TIP: If not using a stand mixer, simply use a large mixing bowl and spoon to stir the ingredients and knead by hand on a floured work surface.
Melt the butter (diced and heated for 20 seconds in microwave) and pour it into the remaining milk. The liquid should be warm 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C), if not, reheat in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.
With the dough hook attached and the machine on low, slowly pour in the activated yeast mixture. Pour in the milk and butter mixture. Use a spatula to scrape down the bowl edges as needed.
Knead on low to medium speed for 10 minutes. The dough should be tacky and pull away from the bowl edges but not sticky. Add flour or water, 1 tbsp at a time, as needed to reach a tacky consistency.TIP: If kneading by hand, knead for 10 minutes.
Mound the dough in the bottom of the bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and allow the dough to for 30 minutes. There isn’t much rise, only rest.
Make the Filling:
In a small bowl, add tahini and sugar. Stir until combined and smooth.
Roll, Fill, & Shape the Dough:
Preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop the dough out onto an unfloured work surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces; you can eyeball the sizes or weigh them using a food scale. My batch was ~830 g total to equal 104 g each (per dough piece).
Use your hands and the friction of the work surface to shape each dough piece into a smooth ball. To do so, simply place one hand behind a dough ball and push it along the work surface. A smooth ball forms as it is pushed. Set each dough ball aside on a plate and cover with a towel to prevent drying out.
Flour the work surface. Use a rolling pin to roll one dough round into a very flat circle (~14 inches in diameter). Add flour as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking to the work surface. Before the last few rolls, wipe off as much flour as you can from the work surface, you want the dough to slightly stick to make it easier to smooth on the tahini.TIP: If the dough creases as you roll, that means dough sections are sticking to the work surface, add plenty of flour. If the dough tears, no worries, it will be rolled up anyway.
Spread an ⅛ of the tahini mixture which is about ¼ cup. If you want to be precise, the total tahini mixture weight should be around 460 grams and divided by 8 would equal 57 grams per flattened dough. Heat the measured-out tahini mixture in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften it making it easier to spread.
Spoon out small amountsat a time of tahini onto the dough. Use the back of the spoon and push the tahini away from you onto the dough to cover the dough as much as possible. The tahini layer should be very thin. Don’t worry if the dough tears as you spread the tahini, the tears will be covered when the dough is rolled.
Start at one side and begin rolling the flattened dough up tightly into a rope like a cinnamon roll or soft taco.TIP: If the edge is a little floppy, add a small about of tahini mixture along the floppy edge to act as glue to seal the edge.
Once rolled, place both hands in the center of the rope and carefully squeeze to stretch it moving your hands out to the ends of the rope. You should be able to stretch the rope to about 26 inches long. It is resilient so it shouldn’t break or tear.
Begin at one end and very loosely coil the rope inward, leave ~⅛-inch space between each coil to allow for the dough to expand. Once coiled, press the top of the bun to flatten it out. Tuck the outer end under the coil and pinch to seal it. Then, carefully lift the coiled bun and place it on the prepared baking sheet.
Cover the rolls with a towel to prevent drying out.
Continue rolling, filling, and shaping another 3 dough pieces. Place only 4 on each baking sheet.
Add the Toppings & Bake:
In a small bowl, melt the butter and stir in the molasses.
Brush the butter and molasses mixture over each roll and sprinkle each with sesame seeds.
Bake one batch while you fill and shape the remaining 4 dough pieces. Remember to add the toppings before baking.
Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes or until dark brown. Remove from oven, serve, and enjoy.
Video
Notes
Storage Suggestions:Place the cooled rolls in sealed bag or container and store at room temperature for a few days or place in the freezer for up to several months. Thaw at room temperature or place directly in the microwave (~30-45 seconds) or oven (350˚F (177˚C) for 15 minutes or until heated through.
You might be interested in these other sweet treats.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes. Until next time, go bake the world!
These Super Easy Everyday Yeast Rolls are a much quicker and easier version of the traditional southern Sour Cream Pocketbook Rolls. These shortcuts with fewer steps and no eggs produce a very surprisingly and incredibly rich, light, and fluffy roll. They truly are as easy to make as homemade biscuits. Make these for the holidays or any time of year you want homemade yeast bread without all the work.
What’s Great about a Sour Cream Yeast Dough?
A typical sour cream yeast roll dough is mostly inactive and knead free since the gluten develops while sitting for hours in the fridge. Thus, the work involved is a natural process only requiring time. Acid is known to inhibit gluten development since it increases the pH; however, that does not produce a negative result in this recipe. The acid, rather, encourages a stretchier, more porous dough which works in this version. The balance of yeast, salt, fat, acid, and sugar works together to create a light and stretching dough.
My Inspiration for these Super Easy Everyday Yeast Rolls
Sour Cream Pocketbook Yeast Rolls are a common southern tangy bread to make particularly around the holidays. Sometimes, they require more work than I have time for. I love them so much that I created a version that’s much easier and doesn’t include eggs. After all, eggs are expensive these days and time is always of the essence. Why not make your holiday meal much easier to prepare and still just as incredibly tasty?
Super Easy Everyday Yeast Roll Ingredients
The simple ingredients include yeast, granulated sugar, milk, sour cream, butter, salt, and all-purpose.
yeast, granulated sugar, milk, sour cream, butter, salt, and all-purpose
The Key is Time for a No-Knead Yeast Dough
The key to making these rolls is time, not to be confused with effort. Make the dough 8-24 hours before you want to divide and bake the rolls. I usually make the dough the night before. It only takes 10-12 minutes. It’s quick and simple. The magic of gluten development occurs while hanging out in the fridge.
Make the Dough (at least 8 hours ahead of time)
Activate the Yeast
In a 2-cup measuring glass or bowl,pour in 218 milliliters (¾ cup +2 ½ tablespoons) of milk. I prefer whole milk as the fat adds richness and softness to the bread. Heat the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds or so until it reaches 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C). In a small bowl, add 14 grams (4½ teaspoons / 2 packages) of active dry yeast. Then, measure out 100 grams (½ cup) of granulated sugar and remove 1 tablespoon (~13 grams) and add it to the yeast. Stir both yeast and sugar. Add ~59 milliliters (¼ cup) of the warm milk. Just eyeball the amount. Stir and set aside the mixture for 5-10 minutes until the yeast is activated becoming bubbly and frothy.
TIP: If the yeast does not bubble or become frothy (even a little), the yeast is dead, and you need to start over with a new package.
1. 218 ml (¾ cup +2 ½ tbsp) milk, heated to 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C)
4. remove 1 tbsp sugar & add to yeast
2. 14 g (4½ tsp / 2 pkgs) yeast
5. pour in ~59 ml (¼ cup) warm milk & stir
3. 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
6. set aside 5-10 minutes to activate
Mix & Heat Milk, Butter, & Sour Cream
Dice 113 grams (4 ounces /1 stick / 8 tablespoons) of butter. Place it in the remaining milk. Add 227 grams (8 ounces /1 cup) of sour cream and stir. Microwave the ingredients for 30 seconds and stir. Heat another 30 seconds and stir. Add another 10 seconds or so until butter is just melted.
TIP: Diced butter will require less heat (less mass) to melt. Thus, less heat means less time you need for the butter to cool enough to add to the yeast.
1. 113 g (4 oz /1 stick / 8 tbsp) butter
4. stir
2. add butter to milk
5. heat 30 seconds & stir
3. 226 g (8 oz /1 cup) sour cream
6. heat another 30 seconds + 10-second increments until melted
Stir in Sugar & Salt
To the heated milk, butter, and sour cream mixture, stir in the remaining sugar. Add 6 grams (1 teaspoon) of salt, if using salted butter. If using unsalted butter, add 7.5 grams (1¼ teaspoons) of salt. Stir together and set aside to cool down if needed to 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C).
TIP: The sugar is not too much for this recipe. It balances out the tang from the sour cream. Don’t hold back.
1. add in remaining sugar
2. add salt (see amount in recipe)
3. stir until combined
Mix ALL Ingredients Together
In a large bowl, add 480 grams (4 cups) of all-purpose flour. Make a well in the center of the flour to hold the liquid. Pour in the milk, butter, and sour cream mixture. Add the yeast mixture. Stir everything very well until all the dough has been incorporated. The dough will be sticky and wet. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight for a maximum of 24 hours.
TIP: Be sure to use a bowl about twice the size of the dough as the dough will double in size as it sits in the fridge. If you don’t have a large enough bowl, divide the dough into two smaller bowls.
1. 480 g (4 cups) all-purpose flour
4. pour in yeast mixture
2. make a well in center
5. stir until combined
3. pour in milk mixture
6. cover & place fridge in 8-24 hours
Divide & Bake the Rolls (8- 24 hours later)
Prepare the Pan(s)
At least 8 hours or up to 24 hours later (the next day), divide and bake the rolls. First, prepare a 9- x 13- inch baking pan by greasing it with butter or cooking spray. Alternatively, you can grease several smaller pans, enough for 15 rolls.
TIP: Greasing the pan(s) with salted butter adds salty goodness to the exterior of the rolls as they bake.
1. grease a 9- x 13- inch baking pan
2. set aside
Divide Dough into 15 Rolls
This step only takes 5- 10 minutes. Deflate and scoop the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat out dough to 1 inch thick. Use a cookie cutter (biscuit cutter or drinking glass) that is ~2 ½ inch in diameter to cut out roll rounds. Put aside leftover dough as you cut out the rounds. Roll up leftover dough and continue patting out and cutting until all dough is used. You should end up with 15 rolls in total.
1. dough risen in fridge 12-14 hours
4. 1-inch thick
7. some dough leftover; reshape & cut out remaining rounds
2. scoop dough on floured surface
5. ~2½-inch biscuit cutter
8. flatten out remaining dough to 1 inch
3. pat into a disk
6. stamp & twist out dough rounds
9. cut out remaining rounds
Place Rolls Touching in Pan(s) & Rise
Place rolls with the sides touching in the prepared pans. You should fit all 15 rolls in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Set the pan(s) aside in a warm area to rise for about 1 hour or until almost doubled. During the last 15 minutes of the rise, preheat oven to 350˚F (191˚C).
1. place all dough rounds in pan touching
2. cover & rise ~1 hour
3. remove cover to bake
Bake
Place the rolls in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on the tops and bottoms.
bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown
Add Final Touches
While hot, brush the baked rolls with another 1-2 tablespoons of butter, salted butter is best. A little extra butter on top keeps the tops soft, adds an appetizing shine and saltiness on the first bite. Eat them while they’re hot!
1. just out of the oven
2. brush butter over the tops
3. rolls still warm & ready to enjoy
Close-Up Images of Yeast Rolls
The rolls are nice and golden brown. The butter adds texture and shine to the tops. The sides are white and fluffy. Notice the soft, light crumb. There’s a little stretching since the natural gluten developed by simply leaving the dough in the fridge for hours sans kneading. 😉
Super Easy Everyday Yeast Rolls with Brown Buttery TopsYeast rolls with a soft and light crumbclose up of yeast rolls
Storage Suggestions
Store rolls sealed in a bag on the counter for a couple of days. For longer storage, place them in freezer bags and in the freezer for up to a couple of months. From frozen, remove as many as you’d like at a time and thaw on the counter for about 30 minutes. Or from frozen, heat in the microwave or wrap in foil and heat in the oven at 350˚F (177˚C) for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.
Final Thoughts of Super Easy Everyday Yeast Rolls
Many of us associate homemade yeast rolls with special times of the year or with a special meal, mainly because they take so much effort to make. This recipe, however, is simple enough that you can make rolls anytime you’re craving a good homemade yeast bread. It’s difficult to find a good recipe that takes so little active time. I hope you enjoy these as much we do. They work well with an elegant meal or simply eaten by themselves hot with salted butter. Whether you make homemade bread routinely or you’ve never made it before but want to try, I think this recipe would work for any level of baker.
Baker’s Perspective: Super Easy Everyday Yeast Rolls
These are the easiest yeast rolls I have ever made. It takes me longer to mix the ingredients than it does to pat and stamp out the rolls. In fact, you could even treat this dough like drop biscuits by dividing the dough (spoonfuls or handfuls) into 15 pieces and placing them in the pan. If you want homemade rolls for dinner, prepare the dough the night before, then do a quick divide and allow them to rise before you bake and eat them for dinner. While the recipe is simple, remember to give the dough those 2 significant rise times.
Taster’s Perspective: Super Easy Everyday Yeast Rolls
We love these rolls. They are rich, buttery, lightly sweetened, and tangy. The butter brushed on top adds a pleasant saltiness to the exterior of the rolls. The sour cream adds the tang, but not too much since it is balanced out by the sugar. The butter and whole milk contribute to the soft, stretchy crumb. Overall, these are great rolls to eat daily, for any special event, or holiday. Give them a try and see what you think. They are a regular bread in our household.
These yeast rolls are a much quicker and easier version of the traditional Sour Cream Pocketbook Rolls. The fewer steps and no eggs produce a very surprisingly and incredibly rich, light, and fluffy roll. Why not make your holiday meal much easier to prepare and just as incredibly tasty?
218ml(¾ cup +2 ½ tbsp) milkwhole preferred heated to (100˚F-110˚F / 38˚C-43˚C), divided
14g(4½ tsp / 2 pkgs) active dry yeast
100g(½ cup) granulated sugardivided
113g(4 oz /1 stick / 8 tbsp) butterplus more for brushing on baked rolls
226g(8 oz /1 cup) sour creamor plain Greek yogurt
6g(1 tsp) salt, if using salted butter in dough7.5 g (1¼ tsp) salt if using unsalted butter in dough
480g(4 cups) all-purpose flourfluff, scoop, and level off flour if using a measuring cup
Instructions
Day 1 or Early Morning (8-24 hours before baking): Combine ingredients and refrigerate. 10 minutes active time
Activate yeast by measuring the milk in a 2-cup measuring glass or medium size bowl. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds or so until it reaches 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C).
In a small bowl, add yeast. Measure the sugar and remove 1 tbsp (~13 g) and add it to the yeast. Stir both yeast and sugar. Add ~59 ml (¼ cup) warm milk. Stir and set aside for 5-10 minutes until the yeast is activated (bubbly and frothy).TIP: If the yeast does not bubble or become frothy (even a little), the yeast is dead, and you need to start over with a new package.
Dice butter and place it in the remaining milk. Add sour cream and stir. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Heat another 30 seconds and stir. Add another 10 seconds or so until butter is just melted.TIP: Diced butter will require less heat (less mass) to melt. Thus, less heat means less time you need for the butter to cool enough to add to the yeast.
Stir the remaining sugar and salt into the milk, sour cream, and butter mixture. Set aside.TIP: The sugar is not too much for this recipe. It balances out the tang from the sour cream. Don't hold back.
In a large bowl, add flour and stir in sour cream mixture (once it has cooled to 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C). Add yeast mixture and stir well until all the dough has been incorporated. The dough will be sticky and wet. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight for a maximum of 24 hours.TIP: Be sure to use a bowl about twice the size of the dough as the dough will double in size as it sits in the fridge. If you don’t have a large enough bowl, divide the dough into two smaller bowls.
Day 2 or 8 hours later: Divide, shape, rise, and bake: 10 minutes active time
Prepare a 9- x 13- inch baking pan by greasing it with butter or cooking spray.TIP: Alternatively, you can grease several smaller pans, enough for 15 rolls.
Deflate and scoop dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat out dough to 1 inch thick. Use a cookie cutter (biscuit cutter or drinking glass) that is ~2 ½ inch in diameter to cut out roll rounds. Put aside leftover dough as you cut out the rounds. Roll up leftover dough and continue patting out and cutting until all dough is used.
Place rolls with sides touching in the prepared pan(s). You should fit all 15 rolls in the 9- x13- inch pan. Cover and allow them to rise in a warm place ~1 hour or until nearly doubled.
Preheat oven to 350˚F (191˚C) during the last 15 minutes of the rise. Bake rolls for 20-25 or until golden brown on the tops and bottoms. Once out of the oven, brush rolls with another 1-2 tbsp of butter. Serve and enjoy.
Video
Notes
Storage Suggestions:-Store rolls sealed in a bag on the counter for a couple of days. For longer storage, place them in freezer bags and in the freezer for up to a couple of months. Remove as many as you’d like at a time and thaw on the counter for about 30 minutes. Or heat in the microwave or wrap in foil and heat in the oven at 350˚F (177˚C) for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.
You might be interested in these other roll- or bun-type breads.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes. Until next time, go bake the world!
The Danish Brunsviger cake is a buttery, sweet yeast dough baked with swirls of rich, buttery brown sugar caramel sauce. The bread is very light and airy with a soft caramel interior and toffee crunch on the top and edges. While called a cake, it resembles more of an American coffee cake, monkey bread (pull-apart bread), or another version of cinnamon rolls. If you like these American sweet treats, you’ll absolutely love this Danish cake.
Danish Brunsviger Origins
While the Danish Brunsviger (BROHNZ-vee-AH) roots are in German baking, this specific cake originated on the Danish island of Fyn or Funen but pronounced “fewn”. Fyn is an old historic Viking island also known as the birthplace of fairy tale author Hans Christian Andersen, who, of course, authored many of Disney’s stories like “The Little Mermaid”. This Danish cake is often served as a birthday cake in Denmark. For the kiddos, it’s commonly shaped and baked into a boy or girl called a Kagemand (KAY-man) and topped with candy for decoration prior to serving.
My Brunsviger Inspiration
When I saw an image of a version of this cake, the caramel sauce sold me immediately. I knew I had to create one. Can you go wrong with a brioche-style yeast dough and caramel? Not only that, but there’s no fancy rolling or shaping. After learning about the traditions and specifics of this recipe, I went to work creating one of my own. In fact, this buttery, sweet, toffee-like bread is richer and more indulgent than it looks. I was so in love with this bread, I had to share it! So here it is…
Danish Brunsviger Ingredients
This is an amazing, sweet breakfast bread or dessert with so few ingredients. For the dough ingredients, you’ll need milk, granulated sugar, yeast, all-purpose flour, salt, and butter. For the caramel sauce, in addition, you’ll need brown sugar and vanilla extract.
milk, granulated sugar, yeast, all-purpose flour, salt, butter, brown sugar and vanilla extract
Activate the Yeast
Add 295 milliliters (1¼ cup) of milk to a measuring cup. Heat it in the microwave 30 -60 seconds until it reaches 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C). Measure out 50 grams (¼ cup) of granulated sugar. In a small bowl, add 14 grams (4 ½ teaspoons or 2 packages) of active dry yeast. Take 1 tablespoon from the measured-out sugar and mix it with the yeast. Pour in ~59 milliliters (~ ¼ cup) of the warmed milk. Stir the mixture until well combined and set it aside for 10 minutes to become bubbly and frothy.
TIPS: Whole milk is preferred as it adds richness, softness, and chewiness to the overall bread crumb. Sugar feeds the yeast and warm liquid activates the yeast.
1. 295 ml (1¼ cup) milk
5. stir
2. 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
6. pour in ~59 ml (~ ¼ cup) warmed milk
3. 14 g (4 ½ tsp / 2 pkg) active dry yeast
7. stir & set aside ~10 min. becoming bubbly & frothy
4. remove 1 tbsp of measured sugar & add to yeast
Make the Danish Brunsviger Dough
Mix Dry Ingredients
In the bowl of stand mixer, add 480 grams (4 cups) of all-purpose flour. Add the remaining sugar and 3 grams (½ teaspoon) of salt, if using salted butter. If using unsalted butter, add 4.5 grams (¾ teaspoon). Whisk to combine.
TIPS: If not using a stand mixer, use a large bowl. Stir the ingredients as described with a spoon and knead by hand. Too much salt in any yeast bread will slow the yeast growth. The rule of thumb is there should be no more than 2% of salt per total flour weight in any yeast bread recipe. When I create recipes, I always do the math to ensure no more than 2% salt is in my yeast dough.
1. 480 g (4 cups) all-purpose flour
2. remaining sugar
3. 3 g (½ tsp) salt (if using salted butter or 4.5 g (¾ tsp) salt if using unsalted butter)
4. sift until combined
Combine Butter & Milk
Dice 113 grams (8 tablespoons or 1 stick) of butter. Add it to the remaining milk. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds and stir. If solid pieces remain, heat for another 10 seconds. The butter should be just melted. If needed, allow the butter and milk mixture to cool to 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C) before pouring it into the flour.
TIP: Diced butter melts more quickly since there is less mass per dice to be heated.
1. 113 g (8 tbsp / 1 stick) diced butter
2. add butter to milk
3. heat just until melted
Stir Together All Dough Ingredients
With the dough hook attached and the machine on low, slowly pour in the activated yeast mixture. Pour in the warm milk and butter mixture. Use a spatula to scrape down the bowl edges as needed. Knead on low to medium speed for 10 minutes. The dough should be tacky and pull away from the bowl edges but not sticky. Add flour or water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed to reach a tacky consistency. The dough should be very soft, pliable, and almost ooze through your fingers when holding it.
TIP: If using a large bowl and spoon. Stir the ingredients together until you reach a shaggy mass. Then, turn out the dough onto a floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes.
1. pour in activated yeast
4. dough should pull away from edges
2. pour in milk/butter mixture
5. after 10 minutes of kneading
3. scrape down flour from bowl edges
6. soft & pliable dough
Dough Rise Time
Mound the dough in a ball and place it in the bottom of the bowl. Oil the top and sides with cooking spray or a neutral oil and rotate the dough to oil all sides. Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm area for 30-60 minutes or until doubled in size.
TIPS: The oil covered dough prevents a crust from forming as it sits. If the dough rises in a warm environment, the rise time should only be 30 minutes.
1. mound dough in bowl
2. spray dough & roll in around to cover
3. cover to rise 30-60 minutes
Prepare Baking Pans
Traditionally, Danish Brunsviger cakes are baked in square pans, a 16- x 16- inch pan. However, that size isn’t quite as popular in some countries. You can use two 8-x8- inch square pans or one 9-x13- inch pan. Regardless of the dish(es), grease the pan(s) with cooking spray or butter. Place parchment paper in each pan and use scissors to cut the paper down vertically in each corner to the bottom of the pan. Overlap the flaps so the paper sits flush. Trim off the flaps as desired.
TIP: A 9-x 13- inch pan will yield a taller cake as it is a little smaller than a 16- x 16- inch pan or two 8- x 8- inch pans.
1. 1 to 2 pans (2-8×8 or 1-9×13 or 1-16×16)
4. cut corners down to bottom of pan so paper sits flush
2. grease w/ cooking spray, oil, or butter
5. pan(s) ready for dough
3. line w/ parchment paper
Pan the Dough
Use a spoon to deflate the dough. If using two pans, divide the dough in half by eyeballing or weighing the dough. The total dough weight should be around 940 grams; thus each half should be around 470 grams (if using 2 pans). If using one large pan, place the entire dough in the pan. Regardless of the number or pan size, flatten out the dough to reach the edges and corners of the pan. Push the dough out as needed dusting your hands with flour if your fingers or hands are sticking to the dough.
TIP: If the dough retracts while pushing it out to the edges, allow it to sit untouched for a few moments giving it time to relax and adjust to the stretched shape. Then, continue to push it out to the edges.
1. dough has risen & doubled
4. place dough in pan(s)
2. dough is deflated
5. push dough out to edges
3. divide dough if using 2 pans, leave whole if using 1
6. dough ready to rest
Cover the Dough & Rise
Cover the pan(s) with a towel or plastic wrap. Set the pan(s) aside for 20 minutes in a warm area to rise. The dough will puff but not double in size.
cover pan(s) so dough can rest ~20 minutes
Make the Caramel Sauce
Combine Butter & Brown Sugar
In a small saucepan, add 113 grams (8 tablespoons or 1 stick) of butter cut into chunks. Then, add 255 grams (1⅓ cups packed) of brown sugar. Heat on low until the butter is melted. Stir frequently to prevent any burning. The mixture should be very hot, but careful not to boil the mixture. If you want more of a breakfast coffee cake or a sweet yeast bread with holiday flavors, add 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, mixed spice (British spice; recipe below), pumpkin pie spice, or apple pie spice. Stir the mixture until the butter is completely melted and all ingredients are combined.
1. 113 g (8 tbsp / 1 stick) diced butter
2. 255 g (1⅓ cups packed) brown sugar
3. heat on low until butter melts
Add Milk
Once the butter is melted and combined with the brown sugar, stir in 60 milliliters (¼ cup) of milk. Continue stirring until heated through and the sugar is dissolved (5 minutes or so).
TIP: Whole milk is preferred as it provides creaminess, richness, and thickness to the caramel sauce.
1. 60 ml (¼ cup milk)
2. stir until combined, heated through, & sugar is dissolved
3. sugar dissolved
Remove From Heat & Add Vanilla
Remove the caramel sauce from the heat. Stir in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. The mixture will bubble significantly. Continue to stir until the bubbles subside. Set the sauce aside for about 5 minutes to cool slightly.
TIP: To cool the sauce a little quicker, pour the sauce into a separate small bowl.
1. remove from heat & stir in 2 tsp vanilla extract
2. vanilla will bubble but stir
3. stir until bubbling stops
4. set aside to cool; pouring into another bowl helps to cool down quicker
Preheat Oven
Preheat the oven to 400˚F (204˚C).
Add Dimples to the Dough
While the topping cools slightly, remove the covering from the pan(s) of rising dough. Use your clean fingers or put on kitchen gloves and make deep dimples all over the dough like making focaccia bread. Add dimples along the edges of the pan so the caramel sauce bakes into the edges as well. The dimples will hold the caramel sauce so they should be deep enough to almost reach the bottom of the pan without exposing the pan.
1. both pans of dough have puffed
2. use fingers to create deep dimples in dough
3. add dimples to dough edges so caramel seeps all over
4. all dimples added; there are a lot
Pour Caramel Sauce over the Dimpled Dough
Spoon the caramel sauce all over the top of the dough. Divide the mixture evenly between the two pans, if using two. Ensure the mixture seeps into each dimple including along the edges. If using 2 pans, use a ladle to spoon the sauce over the dough pouring 1 ladle per pan at a time to ensure equal division of the sauce. Since the sauce is warm, it will encourage the dough to rise again. If the sauce isn’t oozing down into the dimples, use your fingers to make more or deeper holes- messy task but it works. Much of the sauce will sit on top.
1. ladle caramel sauce all over dough
2. much of the caramel sits on top; remedy by adding more dimples to push the caramel into the dough
3. more dimples with clean hands… very messy, but works
Baking Time!
Place the pan(s) in the preheated oven. Bake 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly on top. If using 1 large pan, bake an additional 5-10 minutes.
Danish Brunsviger cakes are ready for the oven
Danish Brunsviger Hot out of the Oven
Allow the cake(s) to sit in their pans for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Then, lift the parchment paper to remove the cake(s). Place them on a serving plate or cutting board to cut into 12 individual slices (squares/rectangles). Stack the slices on a serving plate and serve.
1. hot out of the oven; allow to cool a few minutes
2. parchment paper allows for easy removal; remove paper & place on serving platter OR cut into serving pieces then place on platter to serve
Danish Brunsviger Up Close
Check out the top and sides of the cake. If using parchment paper, the cake easily lifts and can be placed directly on a serving platter (after removing the paper). You can also slice it into chunks and stack them as desired. Check out the dimpled top, crusty toffee edges, and swirls of melted caramel that oozed down into the dimples.
Danish Brunsviger Cake crispy toffee top & edgescrispy caramel edges of the Danish Brunsviger Cakesliced & ready to serve Danish Brunsviger Cake cake dimples with caramel sauce swirled throughout
Storage Suggestions
Store slices covered at room temperature for several days. For longer storage, place slices in a freezer bag or sealed container in the freezer for up to several months. Remove desired amount and heat until warm.
Danish Brunsviger Final Thoughts
Oh, my goodness! This is a heavenly sweet bread! This Danish cake is an incredible bread eaten warm out of the oven with its soft, buttery, yeasty smell, taste, and texture. Don’t forget the gooey, rich swirls of caramel throughout. In addition, how about that light caramel toffee crunch on the top, edges, and bottom? Can I possibly say more? WARNING!! There is absolutely NOTHING healthy about this bread… full of butter and sugar! I suppose that’s why it’s called a cake and served for birthdays in Denmark. I think I know what my next birthday cake will be…😉
Danish Brunsviger Baker’s Perspective
For such a rich and indulgent yeast bread, this one is not difficult to make. It’s a regular mix and knead enriched bread, but the dough is very easy to manipulate since it has so much butter and milk to keep it soft. It’s light and fluffy even after kneading. The easiest part is putting it in the pan! There’s no real dividing or shaping, just plop in a pan and pat it out. How easy is that for a yeast bread? The butter and brown sugar sauce only takes a few minutes to make. All in all, aside from about 30 minutes of rising, you can move from one step to another until you put it in the oven. You can make the dough the night before you want to bake it, just simply cover it and place it in the fridge until you’re ready to put it in the pan(s) and make the topping.
Danish Brunsviger Taster’s Perspective
Are you looking for a yeasty, light, airy, buttery enriched bread with pockets of rich, buttery, soft, and gooey, caramel? Well, that describes this Danish cake… or bread. The caramel that oozes along the bread edges and on the bottom creates a light, crispy toffee exterior once baked. The bread is buttery, lightly sweetened, and soft. If you like cinnamon rolls and monkey bread (aka pull-apart bread), this would be very close to their textures and flavors, particularly if you add cinnamon to the butter and brown sugar caramel sauce. This bread is a definite keeper for a nice weekend breakfast with guests, holiday sweet treat, or anytime you’re craving a sweet yeast bread.
Danish Brunsviger Cake: A Tantalizing Yeast Dough with Caramel Swirls
The Danish Brunsviger cake is a buttery, sweet yeast dough baked with swirls of rich, buttery brown sugar caramel sauce. The bread is very light and airy with a soft caramel interior and toffee crunch on the top and edges. While called a cake, it resembles more of an American coffee cake, monkey bread (pull-apart bread), or another version of cinnamon rolls.
Prep Time50 minutesmins
Cook Time35 minutesmins
Rising Time50 minutesmins
Total Time2 hourshrs15 minutesmins
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Danish
Keyword: Danish Brunsviger cake, brioche dough with caramel sauce, caramel bread, yeast bread with caramel sauce
Servings: 12
Author: Summer
Ingredients
Dough:
295ml(1¼ cup) milkwhole preferred (heated to 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C)
50g(¼ cup) granulated sugar
14g(4½ tsp / 2 pkg) active dry yeast
480g(4 cups) all-purpose flourfluff, scoop, and level off is using a measuring cup
3g(½ tsp) salt (if using salted butter)4.5 g (¾ tsp) salt (if using unsalted butter)
113g(8 tbsp / 1 stick) butterdiced
Caramel Sauce:
113g(8 tbsp / 1 stick) butterdiced
255g(1⅓ cups packed) brown sugar
60ml(¼ cup) milkwhole milk preferred
2tspvanilla extract
Optional Caramel Sauce Additions: Spice is not traditional in this dish.
1tbspground cinnamonpumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice, or British mixed spice (recipe in Notes below)
Instructions
Activate the Yeast: 10 minutes
Pour milk into a measuring cup. Heat in the microwave 30 -60 seconds until it reaches 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C).TIP: Whole milk is preferred as it provides richness, softness, and chewiness to the bread crumb.
Measure out the sugar. In a small bowl, add yeast. Take 1 tbsp from the measured-out sugar and mix it with the yeast.
Pour in ~59 ml (~ ¼ cup) of the warmed milk. Stir until well combined. Set the mixture aside for 10 minutes to become bubbly and frothy.TIP: If the yeast doesn’t activate (bubbly and frothy), the yeast might be old or the milk may not be warm enough. Allow a few more minutes if after 15 minutes, you don’t see any changes, it’s time to start over with a fresh batch of yeast.
Make the Dough: 15 minutes
In the bowl of stand mixer (or large bowl), add the flour, remaining sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine.TIP: If not using a stand mixer, simply use a large mixing bowl and spoon to stir the ingredients.
Add diced butter to the remaining milk and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds or just until melted. Add another 10 seconds, if needed. Allow to cool down to 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C) if needed.TIPS: Diced butter melts more quickly as each small piece has less mass to melt. Stir the butter in the milk after 30 seconds as any remaining small pieces should melt while stirring.
With the dough hook attached and the machine on low, slowly pour in the activated yeast mixture. Pour in the warm milk and butter mixture. Use a spatula to scrape down the bowl edges as needed.
Knead on low to medium speed for 10 minutes. The dough should be tacky and pull away from the bowl edges but not sticky. Add flour or water, 1 tbsp at a time, as needed to reach a tacky consistency.
Mound the dough in a ball and place it in the bottom of the bowl. Oil the top and sides with cooking spray or a neutral oil. Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm area for 30 minutes to 1 hour or until doubled in size.TIP: Oil prevents a crust from forming on the dough as it sits.
Shape Dough in Pan: 5 minutes
Grease two 8-x8- inch square pans or one 9-x13- inch pan. Place parchment paper in each pan and use scissors to cut the paper down vertically in each corner. Overlap the flaps so the paper sits flush. Trim off excess flaps if desired.TIP: This cake is traditionally baked in a square pan, hence the two small square pans. However, you can use a larger square pan like a 16×16. A 9- x 13- inch pan may yield a taller cake since it's a little smaller than the other suggested pan sizes.
Deflate the dough and remove it from the bowl. If using two pans, divide the dough in half (940 g total = 470 g per half) and flatten each out to reach the edges and corners of each pan. If using one large pan, place the entire dough in the pan and flatten it out to reach the edges and corners of the pan.TIP: Dust your hands with flour to push out the dough if it’s sticky.
Cover the pan(s) with a towel or plastic wrap and set aside for 20 minutes in a warm area to rise.
Make Caramel Sauce: 10 minutes
In a small saucepan, add the butter (cut into chunks) and brown sugar. Heat on low until melted stirring frequently. The mixture should be very hot, but careful not to boil the mixture.TIP: If you want more of a breakfast coffee cake or a sweet yeast bread with holiday flavors, add 1 tbsp of cinnamon, mixed spice (British spice recipe in Notes section below), pumpkin pie spice, or apple pie spice.
Stir in milk and continue stirring until heated through and the sugar is dissolved (5 minutes or so).
Remove the caramel sauce from the heat and stir in vanilla.
Set the sauce aside for about 5 minutes to cool slightly.TIP: To cool a little quicker, pour the sauce into another bowl.
Add Sauce & Bake: 10 minutes + 35 more for baking
Preheat the oven to 400˚F (204˚C).
While the topping cools slightly (5-10 minutes), remove the covering from the pan(s) of rising dough. Use your fingers to make deep dimples all over the dough like making focaccia bread. Add dimples along the edges of the pan so the caramel sauce bakes into the edges as well.TIP: The dimples will hold the butter and brown sugar caramel sauce and they should be deep enough to almost reach the bottom of the pan without exposing the pan.
Spoon the caramel sauce all over the top of the dough dividing the mixture evenly between the two pans, if using two. Ensure to get the mixture into each dimple including the edges.TIPS: If using 2 pans, use a ladle to spoon the sauce over the dough (1 ladle per pan at a time) to ensure equal division of the sauce. If the sauce isn’t oozing down into the dimples, while super messy, use your fingers to make more or deeper holes. Much of the sauce will sit on top.
Place the pan(s) in the preheated oven and bake 35-40 minutes until golden brown and bubbly on top. After cooling, lift the parchment paper to remove the cake and place on a serving platter. Serve warm and enjoy!TIP: Bake 5-10 minutes longer if baking in 1 large pan.
Video
Notes
Storage Suggestion:Store slices covered at room temperature for several days. For longer storage, place slices in a freezer bag or sealed container in the freezer for up to several months. Remove desired amount and heat until warm.British Mixed Spice Recipe (makes 1 tbsp):1 tsp ground cinnamon1 tsp ground nutmeg1 tsp ground allspice¾ tsp ground mace¼ ground cloves¼ tsp ground ginger¼ tsp ground corianderCombine all ingredients. Sift through a mesh sifter. Store in a sealed container for up to 6 months.
You might be interested in these other sweet treats.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes. Until next time, go bake the world!
5 Colored Sugars with Flavorings TOP: purple w/ almond or anise, yellow w/ lemon or banana, MIDDLE: pink w/ strawberry or watermelon, BOTTOM: orange w/ orange, and green w/ mint
Colored sugars with flavoring, why not? If you have or had children, then you know that spring is the season for buying food coloring to dye those Easter eggs. Once you dye those eggs, what do you do with that extra food coloring? Why not use those colors to make colored sanding sugar with custom flavorings? Colored sanding sugar adds color, sparkle, crunch, and additional flavoring to your cake or cupcake frosting like in my homemade Mardi Gras Marbled King Cake. Why not sprinkle it on toast with butter for a fun sweet breakfast treat or afternoon snack?
Purpose of this Post: What’s Included…
This blog post explains and demonstrates how to color and flavor granulated sugar using the 4 standard colors that come in a typical liquid food dye package. In addition, there are optional corresponding flavors using different flavoring extracts. Each recipe makes ¼ cup of colored sugar that can be modified based on your needs; you can add more sugar, coloring, or flavoring to any recipe. Not only that, but how about recipes for another 12 color and flavoring options? See the recipe below for those options. You may never need to buy commercial colored sanding sugar again. 😉
1: Yellow Sanding Sugar with Optional Lemon or Banana Flavoring
2: Green Sanding Sugar with Optional Peppermint or Mint Flavoring
3: Orange Sanding Sugar with Optional Orange Flavoring
4: Purple Sanding Sugar with Optional Almond, Vanilla, or Anise (Licorice) Flavoring
5: Pink Sanding Sugar with Optional Strawberry / Watermelon Flavoring
How Much Flavor are We Talking?
The flavorings in these recipes are more nuanced rather than strong candy flavorings. They are meant to enhance the same flavorings already in the frosting or cake that they decorate. They are not meant to be eaten like candy. You can always add more extract to the sugar if you want a stronger flavor. If you only want the color, simply forgo the flavorings.
Colored Sugars with Flavorings: Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for 5 different spring colors and flavors. You’ll need granulated sugar. Cane sugar tends to have larger crystals like sanding sugar and is best for coloring and flavoring. In addition, you’ll need a package of the four standard liquid food dye colors- red, yellow, green, and blue. For optional extract flavorings, I like to use lemon, orange, peppermint, and strawberry or strawberry/watermelon water flavoring. You can also add almond, banana, mint, vanilla, or anise (licorice) extracts.
cane sugar, 4 standard liquid food dye colors, optional extracts/flavorings
Prepare Drying Pans
Depending on the number of colors and flavors you make, you’ll need enough space to spread out each separately. If you’re only making a small amount (one recipe) of one color, you may only need a plate and a small sheet of wax paper. Since I made 5 colors and flavors for this post, I have 5 areas on 2 baking pans and 5 sheets of wax paper on which to lay out each color. On one baking sheet, I have 3 sheets of wax paper, larger than I need but large enough to pull up the edges to use as a barrier in between each color. You’ll see that I also did the same on another small baking pan with 2 sheets of wax paper.
2 baking sheets for 5 colors &/or flavors
5 sheets of wax paper for each color &/or flavor
1: Yellow Sanding Sugar with Lemon or Banana Flavoring
Yellow Sanding Sugar with Lemon or Banana Flavoring
Start with a quart size plastic ziptop bag or glass jar with a screw top lid. To that, add 50 grams (¼ cup) granulated cane sugar.
TIP: I would not use a plastic container as the food dye will stain it.
plastic ziptop bag or glass jar w/lid
quart size bag
glass jar w/screw-top lid
50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar (cane)
Add Yellow Color & Lemon or Banana Flavoring
Add 3 drops of yellow food coloring. Then, add ⅛-½ teaspoon of lemon (or banana) extract. You can start with ⅛ teaspoon, let the sugar dry, and if you want more flavoring add another ⅛ teaspoon. I find an ⅛ teaspoon is not enough, so I start with ¼ teaspoon of extract. If you want a stronger lemon or banana flavor, add ½ tsp in total of extract.
TIPS: Keep a paper towel nearby to wipe up random drops of food dye. Pour the extract in the appropriate measuring spoon over a larger measuring spoon. If too much liquid is accidentally poured, it will fall into the bottom spoon. If so, you can easily pour the extra back into the extract bottle.
3 drops liquid yellow food coloring
⅛-½ tsp lemon or banana extracts (optional)
all color & flavor in bag
Seal Container, Shake, & Dry
Seal the bag or screw on the jar lid and shake vigorously until the color has dispersed evenly throughout the sugar and no wet spots remain. Add more food coloring if you want a darker yellow.
TIPS: If using a bag, zip the top with air left inside to create a bubble allowing space for the sugar to move. If there are any clumps of wet spots that won’t disperse, use your hands to break them up through the bag or use a spatula or spoon to break them up in the jar. Then, seal again and shake to disperse.
seal top w/ air in bag
shake bag (or jar)
all mixed together
Open the bag or jar and pour the sugar onto a sheet of wax paper on the baking sheet. It will take a few hours to overnight for the sugar to dry. Leave it uncovered and at room temperature.
TIPS: Placing the sugar on wax paper makes it easy to lift and pour into a bag or jar for storage. Placing the wax paper on a large plate or baking pan makes it easy to move around the kitchen as needed for space.
pour on wax paper on baking pan
spread out sugar to dry
set aside to dry
2: Green Sanding Sugar with Mint Flavoring
Green Sanding Sugar with Mint Flavoring
Start with a quart size plastic ziptop bag or glass jar with a screw top lid. To that, add 50 grams (¼ cup) granulated cane sugar.
TIP: I would not use a plastic container as the food dye will stain it.
glass jar w/lid or quart size bag
50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar (cane)
Add Green Color & Mint Flavoring
For a mint green color, add 3 drops of green food coloring. Add ⅛-½ tsp peppermint or mint extract. You can start with ⅛ teaspoon, let the sugar dry and if you want more flavoring add another ⅛ tsp. I find an ⅛ teaspoon is not enough, so I start with ¼ teaspoon. If you want a stronger mint flavor, add ½ tsp in total of extract.
TIPS: Keep a paper towel nearby to wipe up random drops of food dye. Pour the extract in the appropriate measuring spoon over a larger measuring spoon. If too much liquid is accidentally poured, it will fall into the bottom spoon. If so, you can easily pour the extra back into the extract bottle.
3 drops liquid green food coloring
⅛-½ tsp peppermint or mint extract (optional)
extract going into the jar
all ingredients together
Seal Container, Shake, & Dry
Seal the bag or screw on the jar lid and shake vigorously until the color has dispersed evenly throughout the sugar and no wet spots remain. Add more food coloring if you want a darker green.
TIPS: If using a bag, zip the top with air left inside to create a bubble allowing space for the sugar to move. If there are any clumps of wet spots that won’t disperse, use your hands to break them up through the bag or use a spatula or spoon to break them up in the jar. Then, seal again and shake to disperse.
color & flavor dispersed
Open the bag or jar and pour the sugar onto a sheet of wax paper on the baking sheet. It will take a few hours to overnight for the sugar to dry. Leave it uncovered and at room temperature.
TIPS: Placing the sugar on wax paper makes it easy to lift and pour into a bag or jar for storage. Placing the wax paper on a large plate or baking pan makes it easy to move around the kitchen as needed for space.
pour out onto wax paper on baking pan
spread out sugar to dry
wax paper edges used as barrier between colors
3: Orange Sanding Sugar with Orange Flavoring
Orange Sanding Sugar with Orange Flavoring
Start with a quart size plastic ziptop bag or glass jar with a screw top lid. To that, add 50 grams (¼ cup) granulated cane sugar.
TIP: I would not use a plastic container as the food dye will stain it.
50 g (¼ cup) granulated cane sugar
Add Orange Color & Orange Flavoring
While there are different combinations of colors to reach orange, I prefer a bright orange color. To reach a bright orange, add 3 drops of red food coloring and 2 drops of yellow food coloring.Add ¼ tsp orange extract; I find less than that is not enough. If you want a stronger orange flavor, add ½ tsp in total of extract.
TIPS: Keep a paper towel nearby to wipe up random drops of food dye. Pour the extract in the appropriate measuring spoon over a larger measuring spoon. If too much liquid is accidentally poured, it will fall into the bottom spoon. If so, you can easily pour the extra back into the extract bottle.
3 drops liquid red food coloring
2 drops liquid yellow food coloring
⅛-½ tsp orange extract (optional)
Seal Container, Shake, & Dry
Seal the bag or screw on the jar lid and shake vigorously until the color has dispersed evenly throughout the sugar and no wet spots remain.
TIPS: If using a bag, zip the top with air left inside to create a bubble allowing space for the sugar to move. If there are any clumps of wet spots that won’t disperse, use your hands to break them up through the bag or use a spatula or spoon to break them up in the jar. Then, seal again and shake to disperse.
seal bag w/air & shake to disperse
ingredients well mixed
Open the bag or jar and pour the sugar onto a sheet of wax paper on the baking sheet. It will take a few hours to overnight for the sugar to dry. Leave it uncovered and at room temperature.
TIPS: Placing the sugar on wax paper makes it easy to lift and pour into a bag or jar for storage. Placing the wax paper on a large plate or baking pan makes it easy to move around the kitchen as needed for space.
pour out onto wax paper on baking pan
spread out sugar to dry
3 colored sugars on 1 baking pan to dry
4: Purple Sanding Sugar with Almond, Vanilla, or Anise (Licorice) Flavoring
Purple Sanding Sugar with Almond, Vanilla, or Anise (Licorice) Flavoring
Start with a quart size plastic ziptop bag or glass jar with a screw top lid. To that, add 50 grams (¼ cup) granulated cane sugar.
TIP: I would not use a plastic container as the food dye will stain it.
50 grams (¼ cup) granulated cane sugar
Add Purple Color & Desired Flavoring
For a simple purple color, add 3 drops red food coloring and 2 drops blue food coloring. Then, add ¼ teaspoon of almond, vanilla, or anise (licorice) extract. I find almond and vanilla are not very strong flavors, so you may prefer to add ½ tsp in total (or more, maybe) of extract.
TIPS: Keep a paper towel nearby to wipe up random drops of food dye. Pour the extract in the appropriate measuring spoon over a larger measuring spoon. If too much liquid is accidentally poured, it will fall into the bottom spoon. If so, you can easily pour the extra back into the extract bottle.
3 drops liquid red food coloring
2 drops liquid blue food coloring
⅛-½ tsp almond, vanilla, or anise (licorice) extracts (optional)
all ingredients together
Seal Container, Shake, & Dry
Seal the bag or screw on the jar lid and shake vigorously until the color has dispersed evenly throughout the sugar and no wet spots remain.
TIPS: If using a bag, zip the top with air left inside to create a bubble allowing space for the sugar to move. If there are any clumps of wet spots that won’t disperse, use your hands to break them up through the bag or use a spatula or spoon to break them up in the jar. Then, seal again and shake to disperse.
ingredients dispersed
Open the bag or jar and pour the sugar onto a sheet of wax paper on the baking sheet. It will take a few hours to overnight for the sugar to dry. Leave it uncovered and at room temperature.
TIPS: Placing the sugar on wax paper makes it easy to lift and pour into a bag or jar for storage. Placing the wax paper on a large plate or baking pan makes it easy to move around the kitchen as needed for space.
pour out onto wax paper on baking pan
spread out to dry
5: Pink Sanding Sugar with Strawberry-Watermelon Flavoring
Pink Sanding Sugar with Strawberry-Watermelon Flavoring
Start with a quart size plastic ziptop bag or glass jar with a screw top lid. To that, add 50 grams (¼ cup) granulated cane sugar.
TIP: I would not use a plastic container as the food dye will stain it.
50 g (¼ cup) granulated cane sugar
Add Pink Color & Strawberry Flavoring
While there are different color combinations to reach pink, I prefer the red and blue combination. Add 3 drops of red coloring and 1 drop of blue food coloring. Then, if you have strawberry extract, use that. If not, you can actually use those concentrated liquid water flavorings to achieve flavoring. I bought a MIO strawberry-watermelon liquid water flavoring to test, and it surprisingly works. Whether you use strawberry extract or a liquid water flavoring, add ¼ teaspoon to the sugar. If you want stronger flavors, add ½ tsp in total of extract.
TIPS: Keep a paper towel nearby to wipe up random drops of food dye. Pour the extract in the appropriate measuring spoon over a larger measuring spoon. If too much liquid is accidentally poured, it will fall into the bottom spoon. If so, you can easily pour the extra back into the extract bottle.
3 drops liquid red food coloring
1 drop liquid blue food coloring
⅛-½ tsp strawberry extract or MIO strawberry/watermelon liquid water flavoring (optional)
all ingredients together
Seal Container, Shake, & Dry
Seal the bag or screw on the jar lid and shake vigorously until the color has dispersed evenly throughout the sugar and no wet spots remain.
TIPS: If using a bag, zip the top with air left inside to create a bubble allowing space for the sugar to move. If there are any clumps of wet spots that won’t disperse, use your hands to break them up through the bag or use a spatula or spoon to break them up in the jar. Then, seal again and shake to disperse.
seal bag w/air & shake
Open the bag or jar and pour the sugar onto a sheet of wax paper on the baking sheet. It will take a few hours to overnight for the sugar to dry. Leave it uncovered and at room temperature.
TIPS: Placing the sugar on wax paper makes it easy to lift and pour into a bag or jar for storage. Placing the wax paper on a large plate or baking pan makes it easy to move around the kitchen as needed for space.
pour out onto wax paper on baking pan
spread out sugar to dry
Tips for All Colored Sugars & Flavorings
all 5 colored sugars dried & ready to be used or stored
Regardless of the color or flavor, be sure to keep each separate. Allow each color to dry uncovered for a couple of hours to overnight. After the sugar dries, taste it. If you want more flavoring, simply return the sugar to the bag or jar and add another ⅛ – ¼ tsp of flavoring, shake and pour out onto the wax paper to dry again. You can repeat this step until you reach your desired flavoring. The sugars with more moisture added may clump after drying, simply use your fingers to break up the clumps.
Storing Suggestion for Colored Sugars
Once dry, you can use the sugars in whatever capacity you desire. For longer storage, place them in separate sealed containers or bags and store at room temperature until needed. They will keep for months in the pantry.
Suggestions on Using Colored Sugar
Breakfast: sprinkle some over your oatmeal, waffles, pancakes, buttered toast, or over the frosting of a pan of cinnamon rolls.
Dessert or snack: sprinkle some over a bowl of ice cream (or whipped topping), frosted sugar cookies, frosted cakes, and frosted cupcakes prior to drying.
Beverages: use it as the main sugar in your single serving of hot chocolate or coffee or sprinkle it over some whipped cream topped hot chocolate or coffee. Use it to sweeten lemonade, iced tea, or hot tea.
Colored Sugars: Final Thoughts
5 Colored Sugars with Flavorings TOP: purple w/ almond or anise, yellow w/ lemon or banana, MIDDLE: pink w/ strawberry or watermelon, BOTTOM: orange w/ orange, and green w/ mint
Making colored sugars is simple and super easy. While you can buy many other food dye colors, this post focuses on using those 4 colors that many of us already have. If you have other colors, play with them following the directions provided along with other extracts. With a few pantry items, you can make quite a few colors and flavors. Some of the extracts (mint, orange, and strawberry) are stronger than others while a few (lemon, almond, and vanilla) are hardly detectable, so I would start with ¼ tsp and add another ¼ tsp, as needed. Use these sugars in any way you want to reach that crunch, color, or flavor factor. Have fun creating sweet and flavorful toppings for your next breakfast, dessert, snack, or beverage. Making your own colored sanding sugar is so much cheaper than buying them commercially and you can be creative with the flavors.
Instead of buying colored sanding sugar, why not make it yourself? These recipes are easy and simple using granulated sugar, the 4 standard colors that come in a food dye package along with optional corresponding flavors using flavoring extracts. Use colored sugar to add color, sparkle, and additional flavoring to your cake, cookie, cupcake, or cinnamon roll frosting. Sweeten your favorite beverage like lemonade, hot chocolate, coffee, or tea. Why not sprinkle it on toast with butter for a fun and colorful sweet breakfast treat or afternoon snack?
Yellow Sugar with Optional Lemon or Banana Flavoring:
1plastic ziptop quart size bag or glass jar with screw-top lid
50g(¼ cup) granulated cane sugarlarger granules are best
3dropsliquid yellow food coloring
⅛-½tsplemon or banana extractsoptional
Green Sugar with Optional Peppermint or Mint Flavoring:
1plastic ziptop quart size bag or glass jar with screw-top lid
50g(¼ cup) granulated cane sugarlarger granules are best
3dropsliquid green food coloring
⅛-½tsppeppermint or mint extractoptional
Orange Sanding Sugar with Optional Orange Flavoring:
1plastic ziptop quart size bag or glass jar with screw-top lid
50g(¼ cup) granulated cane sugarlarger granules are best
3drops liquid red food coloring
2drops liquid yellow food coloring
⅛-½tsporange extractoptional
Purple Sanding Sugar with Optional Almond, Vanilla, or Anise (Licorice) Flavoring:
1plastic ziptop quart size bag or glass jar with screw-top lid
50g(¼ cup) granulated cane sugarlarger granules are best
3drops liquid red food coloring
2drops liquid blue food coloring
⅛-½tspalmond, vanilla, or anise (licorice) extract (optional)
Pink Sanding Sugar with Optional Strawberry-Watermelon Flavoring:
1plastic ziptop quart size bag or glass jar with screw-top lid
50g(¼ cup) granulated cane sugarlarger granules are best
3drops liquid red food coloring
1dropliquid blue food coloring
⅛-½tspstrawberry extract or MIO strawberry/watermelon liquid water flavoringoptional
Instructions
For each color above, add sugar to the ziptop bag or small glass container. Add appropriate amounts of food coloring and optional extracts. Zip bag (with air left to create a bubble for the sugar to move) or seal container. Shake until the color is dispersed and evenly coats the sugar granules.TIP 1: Add more food coloring to reach desired color. TIP 2: You may start with ⅛ tsp of extracts, but the flavors are very nuanced or hardly detected for some of them. I prefer to use a ¼ tsp and add another ¼ as desired.TIP 3: To accurately measure extracts and prevent waste, very carefully pour desired amount in an ⅛ to ¼ tsp over a larger spoon. Return excess extract that may have fallen in the larger spoon back into the original extract bottle.TIP 4: If clumps of wet remain, break them up using your hands to squeeze the bag or a spatula in the jar.
Pour each sugar out of bag or container onto a sheet of wax paper on a baking sheet and spread it out using a spatula. Keep multiple colors and flavors separate using the edge of the wax paper as a barrier in between each. Allow each color to dry uncovered for a couple of hours to overnight at room temperature. Use sugar as desired.TIP: Once dry, taste the sugar. If more flavoring or color is desired, return the sugar to the bag or container and repeat by adding more color or extract. Then, pour out onto wax paper again allowing time to dry.
Video
Notes
*If you want more sugar, add the amount you need and begin with the same amount of food coloring and extracts as directed in the above recipes. Add more as needed to reach desired color and flavor.Storage Suggestion: Once dry, you can use the sugars in whatever capacity you desire. For longer storage, place them in separate sealed containers or bags and store at room temperature until needed. They will keep for months in the pantry.Suggestions on Using Colored Sugar:
Breakfast: sprinkle some over your oatmeal, waffles, pancakes, buttered toast, or over the frosting of a pan of cinnamon rolls.
Dessert or snack: sprinkle some over a bowl of ice cream (or whipped topping), frosted sugar cookies, frosted cakes, and frosted cupcakes prior to drying.
Beverages: use it as the main sugar in your single serving of hot chocolate or coffee or sprinkle it over some whipped cream topped hot chocolate or coffee. Use it to sweeten lemonade, iced tea, or hot tea.
12 Other Colors & Flavors to Try:Use different colors and extracts to achieve other flavors. You’ll have to experiment with the amounts of each as they will be different based on color and flavor strength. All the following flavors should be ⅛ – ½ tsp per ¼ – ½ cup sugar. Add more color or extract to reach desired color and flavor.Chocolate Sanding Sugar: black food coloring with chocolate extractMaple Sanding Sugar: brown food coloring (2 drops red + 2 drops green) with maple extractPumpkin Pie Spice Sanding Sugar: brown food coloring (2 drops red + 2 drops green) with pumpkin pie spice extractLime Sanding Sugar: green food coloring with lime extractBlue Raspberry Sanding Sugar: blue food coloring with raspberry extractPink Lemonade Sanding Sugar: above recipe for pink sanding sugar with lemon extractRose Flavored Sanding Sugar: above recipe for pink sanding sugar with rose waterStrawberry Sanding Sugar: red food coloring with strawberry extractBanana Sanding Sugar: yellow food coloring with banana extractCoconut Sanding Sugar: no color, just coconut extractAlmond Sanding Sugar: no color, just almond extractVanilla Sanding Sugar: no color, just vanilla extract
You might be interested in these other recipes that use food coloring.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes. Until next time, go bake the world!
Sweet or savory, these German-style stuffed soft pretzels and pretzel bites hit the spot for a hearty quick snack. This post covers a variety of ingredients to use to stuff your favorite pretzel dough using everything from cheese to Nutella and chocolate chips along with mustard and peanut butter and jelly. Regardless of the filling, as long as you include the proper technique for the different filling textures, the possibilities are near endless.
The Basics of Stuffed Soft Pretzels
To make stuffed soft pretzels, you begin with a simple and basic pretzel dough. You can use your favorite pretzel dough or my homemade German Bavarian-style pretzel dough that was the focus of my last post. Depending on the filling and shape of the dough, there are many little tricks and tips to make a successful product. I’ve made mistakes along the way and discovered their resolutions that will guide you to a successful experience. Let’s check it out!
For your batch of pretzel dough, you can pick one filling or many fillings. You can stuff your pretzel dough with a variety of savory fillings like diced semi-firm to firm cheese such as mozzarella (not fresh as it’s too wet), any version of cheddar (medium, sharp, or extra sharp), or Gruyère. Mustard is one of our favorites and goes very well with pretzels. For sweet versions, how about some chocolate chips, Nutella, any nut or seed butter along with your favorite fruit jam. While there are many other options you can try, these have all worked well for us. Be creative and have fun!
pretzel dough and optional fillings (cheddar cheese, mozzarella, Gruyère, Nutella, nut butter, fruit preserves, mustard, and chocolate chips
How are Pretzels Different from Regular Bread
I covered this topic in more detail in the German Bavarian-style soft pretzel post; thus, I will simply touch on it here. For details on the pH scale and differences between the alkalinity of baking soda and lye, see that post.
It’s All About Alkalinity…
What makes pretzels taste different from regular bread is that they are dipped in an alkaline solution. That solution gives them that distinctive pretzel taste and shine. A traditional pretzel alkaline solution is made with a food-grade lye (11-14 on the pH scale). It is often difficult to find. So, for dipping my pretzels, I use a baked baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) version that when heated reaches the near pH level of lye (~11). If you have food-grade lye and want to use that, then by all means go for it. If not, then this is how we make it with baking soda.
Bake the Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate)
Why Bake instead of Boil?
Many pretzel recipes suggest putting baking soda in boiling water and dipping pretzels in that hot water. However, hot or boiling water is typically not used in pretzel making in Germany (from my understanding). We aren’t making bagels here. Lye is always mixed with cold water. When we heat (bake) the baking soda in the oven and let it cool, it reaches the appropriate alkalinity allowing us to use the traditional cold-water method for dipping. It is for those traditional reasons that I choose to bake my baking soda instead of heating it in boiling water.
Bake the Baking Soda…
To bake the baking soda, preheat the oven to 300˚F (150˚C). Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread 45 grams (¼ cup) of baking soda evenly over the liner. This amount of baking soda is good for 1 or 2 batch of pretzels if making them at the same time. I would not save the liquid for later use; just make a fresh batch. Bake the baking soda for 1 hour. Remove it from oven and set it aside until needed in the recipe. You can bake and store the baking soda for weeks, just store it sealed in a container or plastic bag.
spread 45 grams (¼ cup) of baking soda on a lined baking sheet & bake 1 hour
Regardless of the filling, you’ll divide, shape, and roll out the dough into long ropes the same way. First, scoop the dough out onto an unfloured work surface. Divide the dough into 10 “equal” pieces by weighing or eyeballing the portions. Depending on the size of your dough, you may need more or less than 10 pieces. For the size pretzels made in this post, each dough piece should weigh around 82 grams.
TIP: An unfloured work surface provides friction making it easier to roll out and shape the dough.
pretzel dough
divide into 10 equal pieces
all 10 pieces weighed
shape each into a smooth ball
Roll Each Piece into Little Sausages
Roll each dough piece into logs about the length of a sausage. Place each log on a plate (side by side) and cover with a towel.
TIPS: Rolling the dough pieces into short logs first allows them to adjust to that size before rolling them much thinner. Covering the dough prevents a crust from forming as they sit.
roll into “sausage” shape
place side by side & cover
all 10 rolled & covered
Prepare Baking Pans
Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining each with parchment paper or silicone mats. Set them aside.
line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
Roll “Sausages” into Ropes
Remove one of the dough logs and cover the remaining with the towel. Place your hands side by side in the center of the sausage-size log and roll it along the work surface pushing down and out rolling until the dough reaches at least a 17-inch-long rope.
roll to at least 17 inches long (longer for some fillings)
Flatten Long Ropes to 2 inches Wide
With a rolling pin, place it perpendicular to the rope in the center of the rope and roll the dough flat out to one end. Return the rolling pin back to the center and roll flat in the opposite direction. Then, place the rolling pin parallel to the dough on top (add flour as needed) and roll back and forth all the way down from one end to the other to reach a flat 2-inch-wide strip of dough. Depending on the filling, each dough strip should be 17-20 inches long by 2 inches wide.
roll flat from one end to the other
flatten to 2 inches wide
Cheese Stuffed Soft Pretzels
Type of Cheese
For cheese stuffed pretzels, the best kind of cheese to use is a semi-hard cheese. The easier the cheese melts, the more likely it will leak as it bakes in the oven. Leaking cheese isn’t necessarily a bad result as some leakage is expected, but a semi-hard cheese like cheddar is less likely to leave a “mess” on the baking sheet. I find different sharpness of cheddar and Gruyère cheeses work very well. Mozzarella also works, just ensure it is not fresh cheese as the moisture is too wet for the dough. Regardless of the type of cheese, dice the cheese into ¼- inch cubes.
TIP: If the cheese is too thick and long, it will be difficult to shape into a smooth rounded pretzel.
Toss Cheese with Flour
Toss the diced cheese in a little flour to coat each piece. Tossing the cheese in flour helps to absorb the liquid or grease as the cheese melts preventing lots of oozing.
dice cheese to ¼- inch cubes & toss with flour
Line up the Diced Cheese, Enclose, & Seal the Dough
For the cheese stuffed pretzels, the dough should be rolled out to a 17-inch rope and flattened to 2 inches wide. Place the diced cheese in a single line along the center of the rolled-out dough. Lay the pieces side by side from one end to the other. Leave a ½- to 1-inch space from the ends. Fold the dough short ends over the cheese and press to seal the edges. Then, fold both long sides over the cheese and pinch to seal moving from one end to the other. Gently roll the log along the work surface to smooth out and seal the roll completely.
TIP: Consider gently pressing the cheese down into the dough making it a little easier to manipulate as you seal the long edges.
line cheese side by side in middle of strippull up long edges and seal at top to enclose cheese
gently press cheese into doughall cheese enclosed
fold both ends over closest cheese & seal
Shape the Cheese Stuffed Soft Dough into a Pretzel
With the seal crease facing up towards the ceiling, form a “U” shape with the dough. Lift the ends and cross them over 2 times. Pull the ends down to touch the bottom “corners” of the “U” to make the pretzel shape. Press to seal the ends to the body of the “U”. Since these pretzels are filled, they will be thick. The traditional holes in a pretzel will likely not be visible as there’s no space. Press the pretzel down to flatten it slightly.
TIP: Placing the sealed crease up will help to eliminate cheese from oozing out during baking since the crease is a weak spot that might split open during baking.
shape dough into a “U”seal ends against the inside base of the “U”
cross to twist ends 2 timespretzel formed
lift twisted ends & move down to base of “U”
Place Cheese Stuffed Soft Pretzels on Baking Sheet
Lift and place the pretzel on the lined baking sheet. Cover the pretzel with a towel to prevent a crust from forming on top. Continue rolling, filling, and shaping the pretzels with remaining dough pieces.
place pretzels 1 inch apart on baking sheet & cover with a towel
Freeze Cheese Stuffed Pretzels for 2 Hours
Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 2 hours. Freezing the pretzels with cheese firms the cheese and helps to prevent the cheese from melting out of the dough as it bakes. The frozen dough makes it easier to lift in and out of the alkaline solution prior to baking.
Chocolate Chip Stuffed Soft Pretzels
Line up the Chocolate Chips
For chocolate chip stuffed pretzels, follow the same procedure as the cheese except there is no coating them in flour. Roll the dough into a 20-inch-long rope and flatten 2 inches wide. Place any flavor of regular size chocolate chips lined side by side down the long dough strip. Leave a ½- to 1-inch space from the ends.
line chocolate chips side by side in center of strip
Enclose the Chocolate Chips & Seal the Dough
Just like with the cheese, fold the dough short ends over the chocolate chips and pinch to seal the edges. Then, fold both long sides over the chocolate chips and pinch to seal. Gently roll the log along the work surface to smooth out and seal the roll completely.
seal to enclose the chocolate chips just like the cheese
Shape the Chocolate Chip Filled Rolls into Pretzels
Just like in the above images for the cheese, form a “U” shape with the dough. Lift the ends and cross them over 2 times. Pull the ends down to touch the bottom “corners” of the “U” to make the traditional pretzel shape. Press to seal the ends to the body of the “U”.
Place Chocolate Chip Stuffed Soft Pretzels on Baking Sheet
Lift and place the pretzel on the lined baking sheet. Cover with a towel to prevent a crust from forming on top of the dough. Continue rolling, filling, and shaping the pretzels with remaining dough pieces.
Freeze Chocolate Chip Stuffed Soft Pretzels for 30 Minutes
Place the baking sheet in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Freezing the pretzels firms them making them easier to lift in and out of the alkaline solution prior to baking.
Condiment Stuffed Soft Pretzels
Differences Between Hard Fillings like Cheese & Creamy Condiment Fillings (How to Apply the Condiments)
For all condiments and other fillings, follow the same procedure in rolling the dough as with the cheese and chocolate chip versions. The difference is that it’s best to roll out the dough into a 20-inch-long rope. For smooth and creamy fillings, use a knife to place a very thin strip of mustard, Nutella, nut butter, and / or jam (or other condiment) down the center of each flat dough strip leaving a ½- to 1-inch space from the ends (like with the cheese and chocolate chips). A knife is best to apply mustard or other condiments so you can control the amount; the condiments should be a very thin, flat strip down the center of the dough.
TIP: Mustard and nut butters have strong overpowering flavors, so you only need a very small amount. I discovered that the hole in a mustard squeeze bottle is too big for the amount you need.
smooth cream fillings: Nutella, fruit jam, peanut butter, & mustardplace a thin line of fruit jam over the peanut butter for a PB & J filling
use a knife to place a thin, smooth line of mustard down center of dough stripplace a thin line of Nutella down the center of the dough strip
use a knife to place a thin, smooth line of peanut butter (or any nut butter) down center of dough strip
Enclose the Condiment Filling & Seal the Dough
Just like with the cheese and chocolate chips, fold the dough short ends over the mustard, Nutella, nut butter, and / or jam. Pinch to seal. Then, fold both long sides over the condiment and seal. Gently roll the log along the work surface to smooth out and seal the roll completely.
enclose the mustard by pinching the long edges together like with the cheese and chocolate chip filling
enclose the peanut butter & jam along with Nutella by pinching the long edges together like with the other fillings
Shape the Condiment Filled Soft Rolls into Pretzels
Just like in the above images for the cheese, form a “U” shape with the dough.Lift the ends and cross them over 2 times. Pull the ends down to touch the bottom “corners” of the “U” to make the pretzel shape. Press to seal the ends to the body of the “U”.
shape all filled pretzels into the traditional pretzel shape
Place Condiment Stuffed Soft Pretzels on Baking Sheet
Lift and place the pretzel on the lined baking sheet. Cover with a towel to prevent a crust from forming on the dough. Continue rolling, filling, and shaping the pretzels with remaining dough pieces.
Freeze Condiment Stuffed Soft Pretzels for 30 Minutes
Place the baking sheet in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Freezing the pretzels firms them making them easier to lift in and out of the alkaline solution prior to baking.
How to Make All Soft Pretzel Bites (Regardless of Filling)
What Filling Should You Use?
Choose whatever filling you want to fill your pretzel bites. You can fill them all with the same filling or use a variety of fillings. In the images below, you’ll see that I filled one strip of rolled dough with some of all of the fillings from cheese to chocolate.
How Long Should You Roll the Dough Pieces?
Roll each dough piece into a 20-inch-long rope. Flatten each rope to 2 inches wide.
Individual Fillings
For each of the fillings, leave a1-inch space in between each filling to allow enough space to cut into separate bites. While placing down the fillings, leave a ½-inch space from each end. For the cheese, add three to four ¼ -inch diced cheese coated in flour bunched up in a 1-inch square space. Remember to move down an inch in between each filling. For the chocolate chips, place 4-5 bunched up in a 1-inch square space. For the creamy condiments like mustard, Nutella, nut butter, and jam, add a small ¼ tsp dollop. You can even add a small dollop of fruit jam on top of the nut butter for a peanut butter and jelly-style pretzel bite. Each dough strip should yield 8-10 pretzel bites. So, leave enough space between each filling to account for separating them.
place any filling 1 inch apart from each other; 8-10 fillings per dough strip
Enclose the Pretzel Bite Fillings, Seal the Dough, & Mark the Separation
Fold up the short edge over the nearest filling. Press to seal over the filling. Then, move down the log pulling up the long edges to seal them at the top to enclose each filling. Pinch as necessary to seal. VERY IMPORTANT: as you move down to seal the roll, use a finger to flatten down the 1-inch empty space in between each filling to mark where to cut and separate each pretzel bite. NOTE: if you forget to mark as you go, it will be very difficult to discern the “empty” space between the creamy fillings as they are soft.
enclose each filling by sealing the dough edges on top & flatten out the space in between each filling to mark where to cut each pretzel bite
Separate Individual Stuffed Soft Pretzel Bites
After enclosing the filling and sealing the dough all the way down, use a knife or bench scraper to cut in the center of each flattened section to separate each bite. Lift each pretzel bite and pinch the ends to ensure a seal.
TIP: The pinched ends will result in each pretzel bite resembling individually wrapped candies.
cut in the middle of each flattened space
pinch each pretzel bite ends to ensure a seal
each pretzel bite should resemble wrapped candy
Place Stuffed Soft Pretzel Bites on Baking Sheet
Lift and place each filled and sealed pretzel bite with the seam side down on the lined baking sheet. Cover the pretzel bites with a towel to prevent a crust from forming on the dough. Continue rolling, filling, and shaping the pretzel bites with remaining dough pieces.
TIP: Seam side down is important to prevent the pretzel bites from pulling open during baking.
Freeze Stuffed Soft Pretzel Bites for 30 Minutes
Place the baking sheet in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Freezing the pretzels firms them making them easier to lift in and out of the alkaline solution prior to baking.
freeze pretzels & pretzel bites
Dip All Pretzels & Pretzel Bites in Alkaline Solution
Preheat Oven
Regardless of how you filled your pretzels or pretzel bites, dipping and baking them are the same. Preheat the oven to 450˚F (232˚C).
Prepare the Alkaline Dipping Solution
For the dipping solution, add the baked baking soda to a large wide-mouth bowl or stock pot. Pour in 4 cups of cold water while stirring to dissolve the baking soda. Continue to stir until the baking soda has dissolved completely and the water is clear.
add baked baking soda to wide-mouth bowl
stir in 4 cups cold water
stir until baked baking soda has dissolved & is clear
Dip the Frozen Pretzels & Pretzel Bites
Remove one of the baking sheets from the freezer. Place one or two pretzel(s) or a handful of pretzel bites in the dipping solution. Whether pretzels or pretzel bites, allow them to sit in the solution for 30 seconds per side or a total of 1 minute. Flip or remove pretzels using 2 slotted spoons or forks to allow excess liquid to drip. Return dipped pretzels and pretzel bites to the baking sheet. Ensure the pretzel bites are seam side down on the baking sheet.
TIP: Use 2 slotted spoons or forks to allow for easy flipping and removal. Two utensils help drain excess liquid. They also prevent the salty alkaline solution from touching the skin which can be irritating.
add 1-2 pretzels to solution; 30 seconds per side
remove pretzels & drain after 1 full minute of soaking; return to baking sheet
place pretzel bites (as many as will fit) & soak for 1 minute
drain & return pretzel bites to baking sheet seam side down
Top Pretzels & Pretzel Bites with Desired Flavors
Sprinkle coarse, pretzel, or flake salt over the tops of each pretzel or pretzel bite as desired. If you want a sweet version, sprinkle a mix of cinnamon and sugar. For other toppings prior to baking, you can sprinkle on seeds (like poppy, sesame, Nigella, and caraway) or seasonings (like onion flakes and everything bagel), or grated cheese.
add salt or preferred topping to each pretzel and pretzel bite
Bake Pretzels & Pretzel Bites
Bake the pretzels for 25-30 minutes or until dark brown. Begin checking the pretzels at 20 minutes. The pretzel bites will take 5 minutes less to bake. So, you may want to remove them between 20-25 minutes. I prefer to bake one pan of pretzels at a time to ensure an even bake and browning. As one pan bakes, prepare the next by dipping and topping the remaining pretzels and pretzel bites.
TIP: Consider placing all pretzel bites on one baking sheet and all pretzels on another. Bake them separately to eliminate removing any of them at different times during baking.
pretzels & pretzel bites are ready for the oven
Remove & Enjoy!
Once baked, remove and cool the pretzels for a few minutes. They can easily be consumed rather immediately. You may want to remove any cheese that may have leaked out during baking.
pretzels hot out of the ovenbottom of pretzel
remove any leaking cheese
top of pretzel
Close Ups of Stuffed Soft Pretzels & Pretzel Bites
These pretzels have a nice rise and are clearly stuffed. If you use a food-grade lye solution, you will likely get more browning and a slight shine. Using a baking soda solution, however, results in browning all around. The salt is clearly visible as would any seeds or nuts. There’s a chewy inside thanks to the high-gluten bread flour. You will likely have a little cheese leakage and that’s OK. Most of it will stay in the pretzel. If not, just pull it off the pretzel and eat it; baked, crispy cheese is really tasty. You can see a little void where the condiments are particularly the melted cheese though the cheese oozes into the bread.
The pretzel bites are a perfect petite bite size making a great snack. They stayed sealed, though you might have a little cheese ooze out, but it will stay mostly in the pretzel.
view of stuffed soft pretzels & pretzel bitesinterior & exterior views of stuffed soft pretzels & pretzel bitesstuffed soft pretzelsins and outs of stuffed soft pretzel bites
Storing Suggestions for Stuffed Soft Pretzels & Pretzel Bites
For these filled pretzels, store sealed in a bag or container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, place them in a sealed bag or container in the freezer for several months. Remove as desired and heat in the microwave until heated through.
Stuffed Soft Pretzels & Pretzel Bites Final Thoughts
These stuffed soft pretzels are fun and versatile to make. So much so, you can please almost everyone in your family. They make great savory and sweet treats depending on your craving. They are easily transportable for school or work lunches and for a day of hiking on the trails.
Stuffing pretzels is pretty fun and would make a great activity to do with the kiddos. These aren’t super easy to make as there are multiple steps especially when you have a lot of different fillings going on at once. However, once you find your rhythm, making them can be cathartic. I imagine sitting at the table with the kids, each with several dough pieces, with a variety of cheese and condiments scattered around the table rolling, filling, and shaping. This activity would keep the kiddos busy for a while, at least.
Time Saver Make-Ahead Option (Few Steps over 3 Days)
You can simplify making these pretzels by spreading out the steps over three days. You can make my German Bavarian-Style Pretzel Dough a day ahead of time and store it covered in the fridge. Then, the following day, roll out and stuff the pretzels. You can also leave the pretzels in the freezer overnight and dip and bake them the next day.
Day 1: Make the pretzel dough and store covered in a large bowl in the fridge.
Day 2: Roll, fill, and shape the pretzel and pretzel bites- store on baking sheet in freezer.
We enjoyed all the flavors. I preferred the sharper cheddar cheese as the sharp, flavor and melted cheese texture balanced out the salty, alkaline flavors and chewy bread texture. Scott preferred the stone ground mustard since mustard and pretzels go together like peanut butter and jelly and he enjoyed the sharp, strong spicy condiment flavor contrasted with the salty, alkaline pretzel flavor and chewy bread texture. Regardless of flavor preference, both the pretzels and pretzel bites make satisfying snacks and soothes those salty and sweet cravings.
Sweet or savory, these German-style stuffed soft pretzels and pretzel bites hit the spot for a hearty quick snack. This post covers a variety of ingredients to use to stuff your favorite pretzel dough using everything from cheese to Nutella and chocolate chips along with mustard and peanut butter and jelly. Regardless of the filling, as long as you include the proper technique for the different filling textures, the possibilities are near endless.
cheeselow moisture (not fresh) like sharp cheddar, Colby jack, Gruyère, mozzarella, etc. (¼ inch diced)
mustardyellow, stone ground, spicy brown, etc.
chocolate chipssemi-sweet, dark, milk, white, butterscotch, etc.
Nutella
nut or seed butterpeanut butter, sunflower butter, etc.
fruit jam or preservesstrawberry, cherry, apricot, etc.
Optional Toppings:
pretzel saltcoarse salt or flake salt
mix of cinnamon and granulated sugar
melted chocolateto drizzle over the tops or for dipping like chocolate covered pretzels
Instructions
Prepare the Dipping Solution for All Filled Pretzels & Pretzel Bites:
Preheat the oven to 300˚F (150˚C).
Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the baking soda evenly over the liner.
Bake the baking soda for 1 hour. Remove from oven and set aside until needed in the recipe.TIP: Baking the baking soda increases the alkaline value to resemble the pH of the traditional lye solution used in making German pretzels. If you can find it, you can use lye solution, but baking soda works and may be more convenient.
Initial Divide & Shape for All Filled Pretzels & Pretzel Bites:
Scoop the dough out onto an unfloured work surface. Divide the dough into 10 “equal” pieces by weighing or eyeballing the portions. (if the total weight is about 820 g, divided by 10 is 82 g per dough piece).TIP: An unfloured work surface provides friction making it easier to roll out and shape the dough.
Roll each dough piece into logs about the length of a sausage. Place each log on a plate (side by side) and cover with a towel.TIPS: Rolling the dough pieces into short logs first allows them to adjust to that size before rolling them much thinner. Covering the dough prevents a crust from forming as they sit.
Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining each with parchment paper or silicone mats. Set aside.
Remove one dough log and cover the remaining with the towel. Place your hands (side by side) in the center of the sausage-size roll and roll along the work surface pushing your hands out rolling until the dough reaches at least a 17-inch-long rope.
With a rolling pin, place it perpendicular in the center of the rope and roll the dough flat out to one end. Return the rolling pin back to the center and roll flat in the opposite direction. Then, place the rolling pin parallel to the dough on top (add flour as needed) and roll back and forth all the way down from one end to the other to reach a flat 2-inch-wide strip of dough.
Cheese Stuffed Pretzels:
Dice cheese into ¼ – inch cubes. Toss them in a little flour to coat. Place the diced cheese in a line along the center of the dough strip. Lay the cheese side by side from one end to the other. Leave a ½- to 1-inch space from the ends.TIPS: If the cheese is too thick and long, it will be difficult to shape into a smooth rounded pretzel. Tossing the cheese in flour helps to absorb the liquid/grease as the cheese melts helping to prevent oozing.
Fold both dough short ends over the cheese and press to seal the edges. Then, fold both long edges over the cheese and pinch to seal to enclose the cheese. Move all the way down the strip to the other end. Gently roll the log along the work surface to smooth out and seal the roll completely.TIP: Consider gently pressing the cheese down into the dough making it a little easier to manipulate as you seal the long edges.
With the sealed crease facing up towards the sealing, form a “U” shape with the dough. Lift the ends and cross them over 2 times. Pull the ends down to touch the bottom “corners” of the “U” to make the pretzel shape. Press to seal the ends to the body of the “U”.TIP: Placing the sealed crease up will help to eliminate cheese from oozing out during baking since the crease is a weak spot that might split open during baking.
Lift and place each pretzel about an inch apart on the lined baking sheet. Cover the pretzels with a towel to prevent a crust from forming on the dough. Continue rolling, filling, and shaping the pretzels with remaining dough pieces.
Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 2 hours or overnight.TIP: Freezing the pretzels with cheese firms the cheese and helps to prevent the cheese from melting out of the dough as it bakes. The frozen dough makes it easier to lift and place in the alkaline solution prior to baking.
Chocolate Chip Stuffed Pretzels:
Roll the rope a little longer to 20 inches in length while keeping the 2 inches in diameter.
Place any flavor of regular size chocolate chips lined side by side down the long dough strip. Leave a ½- to 1-inch space from the ends.
Fold the dough short ends over the chocolate chips and pinch to seal the edges. Then, fold both long edges over the chocolate chips and pinch to seal enclosing the chocolate. Gently roll the log along the work surface to smooth out and seal the roll completely.
Form a “U” shape with the dough. Lift the ends and cross them over 2 times. Pull the ends down to touch the bottom “corners” of the “U” to make the pretzel shape. Press to seal the ends to the body of the “U”.
Lift and place each pretzel about an inch apart on the lined baking sheet. Cover with a towel to prevent a crust from forming on the dough. Continue rolling, filling, and shaping the pretzels with remaining dough pieces.
Place the baking sheet in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.TIP: Freezing the pretzels makes it easier to lift and place in the alkaline solution prior to baking.
Roll the rope a little longer to 20 inches in length while keeping the 2 inches in diameter.
Use a knife to place a very thin strip of mustard or other condiment, nut butter, or jam down the center of each flat dough strip leaving a ½- to 1-inch space from the ends.TIP: Mustard and nut butters have strong overpowering flavors, so you only need a very small amount. I find a squeeze bottle tip too large for the small amount needed.
Fold dough short ends over the mustard or condiment and press to seal the edges. Then, fold both long edges over the condiment and pinch to seal enclosing the filling. Gently roll the log along the work surface to smooth out and seal the roll completely.
Form a “U” shape with the dough. Lift the ends and cross them over 2 times. Pull the ends down to touch the bottom “corners” of the “U” to make the pretzel shape. Press to seal the ends to the body of the “U”.
Lift and place each pretzel about an inch apart on the lined baking sheet. Cover with a towel to prevent a crust from forming on the dough. Continue rolling, filling, and shaping the pretzels with remaining dough pieces.
Place the baking sheet in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.TIP: Freezing the pretzels makes it easier to lift and place in the alkaline solution prior to baking.
All Stuffed Pretzel Bites:
Roll the rope a little longer to 20 inches in length while keeping the 2 inches in diameter.
Decide what you want to fill your pretzel bites. You can fill them all with the same filling or use a variety of fillings. For each of the fillings, leave a 1-inch space in between each filling to allow enough space to cut into separate bites.While laying down the fillings, leave a ½-inch space from each end. For chocolate chips, place 4-5 bunched up in a ½-inch square space. You can add three to four ¼-inch cubes of cheese, a small ¼ tsp dollop of mustard, Nutella, nut butter, or jam. You can even add a small dollop of fruit jam on top of the nut butter for a peanut butter and jelly-style pretzel bite. Each dough strip will yield 8-10 pretzel bites.
Fold each short edge over the nearest filling. Press to seal over the filling. Then, move down the log pulling up the long edges to seal them at the top to enclose each filling. Pinch as necessary to seal. As you move down to seal the roll, use a finger to flatten down the 1-inch empty space in between each filling to mark where to cut and separate each pretzel bite. TIP: If you forget to mark as you go, it will be very difficult to discern the "empty" space between the creamy fillings as they are soft.
After sealing all the way down, use a knife or bench scraper to cut in the center of each flattened section to separate each bite. Pinch to ensure a seal at each end of each bite.TIP: The pinched ends will result in each pretzel bite resembling individually wrapped candies.
Lift and place each filled and sealed pretzel bite with the sealed/seam side down on the lined baking sheet. Cover the pretzel bites with a towel to prevent a crust from forming on the dough. Continue rolling, filling, and shaping the pretzel bites with remaining dough pieces.
Place the baking sheet in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.TIP: Freezing the pretzels makes it easier to lift and place in the alkaline solution prior to baking.
Dip, Top, & Bake for All Stuffed Soft Pretzels & Pretzel Bites:
Preheat the oven to 450˚F (232˚C).
For the dipping solution, add the baked baking soda to a large wide-mouth bowl or stock pot and pour in 4 cups cold water while stirring to dissolve the baking soda. Continue to stir until the baking soda has dissolved completely and the water is clear.
Remove one of the baking sheets from the freezer. Lift one or two pretzel(s) or a handful of pretzel bites and place in the dipping solution. Allow to sit in the solution for 30 seconds per side or 1 minute total. Flip or remove pretzels using 2 slotted spoons or forks to allow excess liquid to drip and to prevent touching the solution. Return dipped pretzels and pretzel bites to the baking sheet. Ensure the pretzel bites are seam side down on the baking sheet.TIP: Alkaline solution is very salty and can irritate the skin.
Sprinkle coarse, pretzel, or flake saltover the tops of each pretzel or pretzel bite as desired. If you want a sweet version, sprinkle a mix of cinnamon and sugar.TIP: For other toppings, you can sprinkle on seeds (poppy, pumpkin, white or black sesame, Nigella, caraway, etc.), seasonings (onion flakes, everything bagel, etc.), or grated cheese prior to baking.
Bake the pretzelsfor 25-30 minutes or until dark brown. Begin checking the pretzels at 20 minutes. The pretzel bites will take 5 minutes less to bake. So, you may want to remove them between 20-25 minutes. TIPS: I prefer to bake one pan at a time to ensure an even bake and browning. As one pan bakes, you can prepare the next by dipping and topping the remaining pretzels. Also, consider placing all pretzel bites on one baking sheet and all pretzels on another. Bake them separately to eliminate removing any of them at different times during baking.
Video
Notes
Storing Suggestions:For these filled pretzels, store sealed in a bag or container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, place them in a sealed bag or container in the freezer for several months. Remove as desired and heat in the microwave until heated through.Make-Ahead Suggestion (If Short on Time & Energy):
Day 1: Make the pretzel dough and store covered in a large bowl in the fridge.
Day 2: Roll, fill, and shape the pretzel and pretzel bites- store on baking sheet in freezer.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes. Until next time, go bake the world!
These German Bavarian-style soft pretzels make a fantastic snack. They include common Bavarian pretzel ingredients and ratios. It’s the technique of shaping and dipping them in an alkaline solution that makes them unique. This blog post covers it all including how to shape the pretzels and their Christian symbolism along with lots of details on the alkaline solution and many fun facts with tips!
The Basics of Soft Pretzels
There are lots of different types of pretzel recipes including those found in different regions in Germany. Known as “Brezel” in German, some are made with butter and milk while the Bavarian version is a simpler recipe made with a little shortening (or lard) and water. Regardless of the region, pretzels are dipped in an alkaline solution prior to baking.
Origins of Soft Pretzels
Soft pretzels date back to the 7th century (610 A.D.). They were originally baked by monks in the Catholic church. The texture at that time is very much like what they are today. Pretzels were a perfect bake during Lent since so many ingredients like meat, dairy, and eggs were prohibited. Monks gave little pretzels to students after reciting their prayers correctly.Pretzels began populating the world during the Middle Ages through Europe. During this time, they were often given to the poor to quince both physical and spiritual hunger. Eventually, pretzels made their way to the United States; some say by way of the Mayflower but certainly by the 1700s via German immigrants.
Christian Symbolism of the Pretzel Shape
Pretzel Shapes have Christian Significance
For Christians, it’s common to make pretzels around Easter as the pretzel shape can symbolize a praying person. The knot represents clasped hands in prayer. The 3 holes represent the Holy Trinity in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The overall shape looks like a loving heart all twisted and interlocking. These would be fun to make with your kiddos in preparation for Easter.
Other Pretzel Fun Facts!
There was a time when pretzels were hidden on Easter morning like eggs. Kids would search for them like dyed Easter eggs. The pretzel represents luck, so finding or receiving a pretzel as a gift should be most welcomed and appreciated. During the 17th century in German speaking countries, pretzels were commonly found at weddings to symbolize love (the heart shape), good luck, and the idea of “tying the knot”. In fact, the wedding couple would have used it like a wishbone where each takes a pretzel side and pull. Pretzels are good luck gifts for anyone, anytime. Why not make a batch for National Pretzel Day on April 26?
Bavarian Soft Pretzels: Ingredients
For the ingredients, you’ll need baking soda or lye for the dipping solution. I use baking soda in this blog post and recipe. However, if you have food-grade lye and want to use it, go right ahead! Regardless of the dipping solution, for the simple dough, you’ll need yeast, brown sugar, bread flour, salt, shortening, and water.
baking soda, yeast, brown sugar, bread flour, salt, shortening, and water
How are Soft Pretzels Different from Regular Bread Recipes?
As you can see, the ingredients for making soft pretzels are the same as making any yeast bread. What makes pretzels taste different from regular bread is that they are dipped in an alkaline solution which gives them that distinctive pretzel taste and shine.
A traditional pretzel alkaline solution is made of lye. Yes, that’s right! It’s virtually the same lye in lye soap, BUT you’ll need a food-grade version for your pretzels. I’m not comfortable working with lye and it’s also difficult to find. So, I choose to use an alkaline baking soda solution that reaches near the pH level of lye. If you have food-grade lye, then use that.
A Little about pH & Alkaline Solution
About pH…
That special taste that differentiates a pretzel from other bread is a result of the alkaline dipping solution. Alkaline is a basic, ionic salt from the alkaline earth metal. When you look at a pH scale and compare acid to base, the lower the number, the more acidic. The higher the number on a pH scale, the more basic or alkaline. What we taste in a pretzel is a very basic, alkaline “flavor”. Check out the chart below for a little perspective.
Prebiotics, Probiotics, & pH?
Do you know why PREBIOTICS and PROBIOTICS are all the rage? It’s because of where your gut pH level sits and taking those pre- and pro- biotics levels it out. A gut’s pH level is based on microbiome (gut bacteria) and how it affects the rest of your body including all of the fluids from head to toe. So those pre- and pro- biotics that we consume are designed to level out our gut pH levels.
pH Scale 0-14
The pH scale goes from 0-14. The pH of baking soda is generally between 8-9. Lye is on the high end between 11-14. Baking the baking soda increases the pH to near 11 which is closer to lye.
0-6
Acidic
4-6
average human skin
7
Neutral
8-9
Baking soda
8-14
Basic (Alkaline)
~11
Baked baking soda
11-14
Lye
pH Scale
Bake the Baking Soda (Heat is Needed to Raise the pH Level)
For that significant pretzel flavor, you’ll want to use an alkaline solution. If lye isn’t appealing to you, you can use baking soda. Here’s how we make the alkaline baking soda solution.
Preheat the oven to 300˚F (150˚C). Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread 45 grams (¼ cup) of baking soda evenly over the liner. While many recipes call for using baking soda in boiling water for the alkaline dipping solution, the Bavarian style ONLY uses cold water. This is why we need to bake the baking soda first (to raise the pH) and then use COLD water for mixing when we make the solution.
Bake the baking soda for 1 hour. Remove it from the oven and set it aside until needed in the recipe. You can bake and store the baking soda in a sealed container or plastic bag for weeks if you don’t need it immediately.
45 g (¼ cup) baking soda on parchment-lined baking sheet & baked
once cooled, place baked baking soda in a container until needed
Activate the Yeast
Measure out the total water amount which is 295 milliliters (1¼ cups). Heat it in the microwave to reach a temperature of 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C).
In a small bowl, add 7 grams (1 package) of yeast. Then, add 5 grams (1 teaspoon) of brown sugar. Mix until the brown sugar is broken down and mixed with the yeast. Add ~59 milliliters (¼ cup) of water taken from the total water measured. Stir the mixture until the yeast is dissolved. Set it aside for about 10 minutes to become bubbly and frothy.
TIP: There is very little sugar in the Bavarian pretzel. The molasses in brown sugar, while not detectable, adds (very mildly) to the pretzel flavor and coloring. You can sub with honey or barley malt syrup in the same amount.
295 ml (1¼ cups) water- heated to 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C)
mix yeast & sugar
7 g (1 pkg) yeast~59 ml (¼ cup) water (from measured)
5 g (1 tsp) brown sugar
stir until dissolved & set aside ~10 minutes
Make the Bavarian Soft Pretzel Dough
Combine Dry Ingredients & Shortening
To the bowl of a stand mixer, sift in 480 grams (4 cups) of bread flour. I like to use bread flour in this recipe as the higher gluten content will produce a chewier bread. Add 9 grams (1½ teaspoons) of salt. Use the paddle attachment and turn it on low speed to combine the flour and salt.
Dice 30 grams (2½ tablespoons) of shortening and add it to the flour mixture. Run the machine on low to medium to break up the shortening and mix it into the flour and salt.
TIP: If you’re not using a stand mixer, use a large bowl, mix with a spoon, and knead by hand when the dough is too stiff to stir.
480 g (4 cups) bread flourcombine flour & salt
9 g (1½ tsp) salt30 g (2½ tbsp) diced shortening
use paddle attachmentmix until shortening is blended in w/ flour & salt
Add Yeast & Water to Dry Ingredients
Switch out the paddle attachment with the dough hook. With the machine on low, add the activated yeast mixture. Slowly pour in the remaining 236 milliliters (1 cup) of water.
switch to dough hook
pour in activated yeast while machine runs on low speed
pour in remaining warm water w/ machine on low speed
Knead 10 Minutes
Knead for 8-10 minutes occasionally scraping down the bowl edges. The dough should be tacky but not sticky. It should pull away from the bowl and there shouldn’t be any flour bits left in the bottom of the bowl. Add additional water or flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed to reach a tacky consistency.
scrape down bowl edges as needed
dough is tacky… pulls away from edges, not wet, & no flour left behind
Cover & Rest 5 Minutes
Mound the dough into a ball at the bottom of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and allow the dough to sit 5 minutes.
dough all kneaded
mound dough in a ball and place in bottom of bowl
cover to rest for 5 minutes
Make-ahead Option
While not traditional of Bavarian pretzel dough (as there is no rising time), you can make the dough a day ahead and store it covered in the fridge. The dough will rise as it sits so store it in a bowl about twice the size of the dough.
Divide & Shape Soft Pretzel Dough
Scoop the dough out onto an unfloured work surface. An unfloured work surface provides friction making it easier to roll out and shape the dough. Divide the dough into 10 “equal” pieces by weighing or eyeballing the portions. The total weight should be around 820 grams (give or take a couple of grams). When dividing the dough by 10 pieces, each piece should weigh around 82 grams. The overall weight of the dough varies depending on how much additional flour or water was added during the kneading process.
scoop dough out onto unfloured work surfaceall 10 dough pieces
divide equally (eyeball or weigh); begin dividing in halfshape each dough piece in a smooth ball
divide each half into 5ths
Roll Each Dough Ball into Sausage Sizes
Roll each dough piece into logs about the length of a sausage (bratwurst). Rolling the dough pieces into short logs first allows them to adjust to that size before rolling them much thinner. Place each log on a plate (side by side) and cover with a towel. Covering the dough prevents a crust from forming as they sit.
roll each dough ball into a sausage shape
place each on a platter & cover
all 10 sausage shapes touching; be sure to cover
Prepare Baking Sheets
Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining each with parchment paper or silicone mats. Set them aside.
line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
Roll Logs into Long 20- to 22- inch Ropes
Remove one dough log (sausage) and cover the remaining with the towel. Roll the log on the unfloured work surface into a long 20- to 22- inch rope tapering the ends. For a true German pretzel, leave the middle of the rope much thicker than the ends.
TIP: The tapered ends will produce a crispy, crunchy portion to the pretzel. The thick belly will be soft and chewy. A true Bavarian pretzel will have a very thick, chewy pretzel belly/bottom and very thin, crispy arms.
remove 1 dough “sausage”
begin rolling into 20- to 22- inch rope tapering ends
long 22-inch rope
notice tapered ends
Form the Pretzel Shape
Shaping each rope into a “U” to begin that signature pretzel shape. Then, cross the ends and twist two times. Lift the ends and place them within the bottom “corners” of the “U” and press to seal the arms to the base.
TIP: For a prettier pretzel shape, as you pull down the ends to seal, use your other fingers to push out the top of the pretzel. You should get defined 3 holes. See image below.
form a “U” shapelift ends and pull down to the “U” baseTIP: for a pretty pretzel shape, use fingers to push out the top of the pretzel as you seal the ends to the bottom
twist the ends 1 timeseal ends to “U” base
add a 2nd twist to the endspretzel formed
Place Soft Pretzels on Baking Sheet
Place each pretzel on the prepared baking sheet. Cover the baking sheet with a towel to prevent a crust from forming on the dough. Continue rolling and making the pretzel shape with remaining dough pieces.
TIP: If you find your dough isn’t sealing, you can lightly dip your fingers in water to encourage the dough to stick.
place each pretzel on a prepared baking sheet
baking sheet is filled
Once all pretzels are on the baking sheet, if they retracted, stretch them out so the holes are clearly defined. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes or refrigerator for at least 1 hour. I prefer to freeze them, and you can actually freeze them for days if you need a multi-day process.
TIP: Cooling/freezing the pretzels firms them making them easier to lift and place in the alkaline solution prior to baking.
Preheat Oven
Preheat the oven to 450˚F (232˚C).
Prepare the Alkaline Dipping Solution
For the alkaline dipping solution, add the baked baking soda to a large wide-mouth bowl or stock pot. Gradually pour in 4 cups of cold water stirring as you pour. Continue to stir until the baking soda has dissolved and the water is clear. This will take a few minutes. If you are comfortable using lye and have it, prepare the lye solution at this time which is similar to preparing the baking soda solution (no baking, of course).
add baked baking soda to wide-mouth bowl
pour in 4 cups of cold water
stir until baking soda has dissolved
continue to stir until the water is clear
Alkaline Dipping Time!
1 Minute Dips with 30 Seconds Per Side
Remove one of the baking sheets from the freezer. Lift one or two pretzel(s) and place them in the dipping solution. Allow them to sit in the solution for a total of 1 minute. They should sit for 30 seconds per side. After the initial 30 seconds, use one or two slotted spoon(s) or fork(s) to flip them allowing them to sit in the solution for another 30 seconds.
TIP: Using two slotted spoons or forks is best. The slats or tines allow the pretzels to drip off an excess liquid. The high alkaline solution is quite salty and can irritate the skin. It is advisable not to expose the liquid to any skin. Thus, using two utensils prevents skin contact.
removed 1 baking sheet of frozen pretzelsgently lift & flip pretzel over
they easily lift since they are frozen; place gently in dipping solutionallow to “soak” for another 30 seconds
allow to “soak” for 30 seconds
Remove Pretzels & Add Toppings
Use one or two spoons or forks to remove the pretzel(s) from the solution allowing excess liquid to drip. Using two utensils to flip and lift the pretzels eliminates touching the alkaline solution. Return the pretzel(s) to the baking sheet. Continue dipping the remaining pretzels sitting in the solution for 30 seconds per side.
gently remove pretzel & drain off excess liquid
return pretzel to baking sheet
Optional Toppings
Sprinkle salt over the tops of each pretzel. Be sure to add toppings while the pretzels are visually wet, so they adhere. You can use a coarse salt, flake salt, or specific pretzel salt. I prefer flake salt as it adds a pretty texture once they are baked. If you want a sweet version, sprinkle on a mix of cinnamon and sugar. For other toppings prior to baking, you can sprinkle on seeds (like poppy, sesame, Nigella (black cumin), and caraway), seasonings (like onion flakes and everything bagel), or grated cheese like Parmesan. The alkaline solution can leave the exterior of the pretzels salty, so consider limiting the amount of salt on each pretzel.
sprinkle of desire toppings while wet (coarse salt above)
using flake sea salt above
Baking Time!
Bake the pretzels for 25 minutes or until desired brownness. I prefer to bake one pan at a time to ensure an even bake and browning. As one pan bakes, prepare the next by dipping and topping the remaining pretzels.
Once baked, remove the pretzels and cool for a few minutes. You can eat and enjoy them fairly immediately.
all pretzels are ready to bake
pretzels baked!
Bavarian Soft Pretzels: Close Ups
Notice how much the pretzels rose during baking. Pretzels will split as they bake when they rise. Some German regions make a cut in the dough prior to baking to accommodate the expansion. Bavarian pretzels are left to split where they choose. If you use a food-grade lye solution, you will likely achieve a darker browning and a slight shine. These pretzels with the baking soda solution, however, did turn brown all around. The salt is clearly visible as would any seeds or nuts. There’s a crispy exterior and chewy interior thanks to the high-gluten bread flour.
brown all aroundnotice the different textures in salt toppings (coarse in 2nd row, flake sea salt in bottom row)
Final Product: German Bavarian-Style Soft PretzelsClose up of the chewy pretzel center
Storage Suggestions for Soft Pretzels
Store baked pretzels sealed in a bag or container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, place in a sealed bag or container in the freezer for several months. Remove as desired and heat in the microwave until heated through.
Bavarian Soft Pretzels: Final Thoughts
These pretzels are fun to make and a great activity to do with kids particularly around Christian holidays like Easter or other celebrations. They are thick enough that you can slice them like sandwich bread and add your favorite sandwich fillings and eat like a sandwich or open face. Using baking soda instead of lye will not produce the shine like lye but will produce a dark brown coloring and pretzel flavoring. Alkaline is salty, so you will notice that when you bite into the pretzel. They are great with other toppings and dipping sauces.
Bavarian Soft Pretzels: Baker’s Perspective
Who would’ve thought that a pretzel is just a simple bread recipe? The alkaline dipping solution may seem a bit intimidating at the beginning. However, once you have a basic understanding of its importance, it’s simply another step. If you want to make pretzels with your kids, I would prep the dough the day before and store it in the fridge. Then, divide the dough and teach your kids how to shape the pretzel. As you’re shaping the pretzels, tell them about the symbolism. Be sure to include that they represent good luck along with the significance of the heart shape and “tying the knot”. If you’re a praying individual, you could certainly use this opportunity to talk about prayer and even encourage them to say their own in honor of the season.
Try Make-Ahead in Stages
If you’re pressed for time and really want to make these pretzels with your kiddos, here’s quick guideline on making them in stages.
Day 1: bake the baking soda (or bake it days before),
Day 2: make the dough and store covered in the fridge,
Day 3: divide, shape the pretzels, and place them in the freezer,
Day 4: dip the pretzels in the alkaline solution, bake, and enjoy.
Bavarian Soft Pretzels: Taster’s Perspective
What an interesting bread! The alkaline solution provides an outer salty layer to the entire pretzel. As you salt the pretzels, keep that in mind to prevent oversalting them. There’s a nice balance of crunch and chewiness. As the pretzels sit, they lose that outer crispness. For best results, eat them the day they are made, but they are still very good days later. Consider dipping them in your favorite condiment or sauce like sweet or spicy mustard, cheese, barbecue sauce, or even chocolate! These pretzels make a great snack and are easily transportable. We love them and recommend giving them a try.
These German Bavarian-style soft pretzels make a fantastic snack. They include very simple, common Bavarian pretzel ingredients and ratios. The technique of shaping and dipping them in an alkaline solution makes them unique. Making pretzels is a great activity to do with your kiddos for Easter, since they include so much Christian symbolism.
Dipping Solution: (If using baking soda instead of lye)
45g(¼ cup) baking soda
944ml(4 cups) cold water
Pretzel Dough:
295ml(1¼ cups) waterheated to 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C)
7g(1 pkg) active dry yeast
5g(1 tsp) brown sugarhoney or barley malt syrup
480g(4 cups) bread flour
9g(1½ tsp) salt
30g(2½ tbsp) shorteningdiced
Optional Toppings:
coarse saltpretzel salt or flake salt
seedspoppy, sesame, Nigella (black cumin), or caraway
seasoningsonion flakes or everything bagel
cinnamon and sugarfor a sweet version
Instructions
Prepare the Dipping Solution: (If using baking soda instead of lye)
Preheat the oven to 300˚F (150˚C).
Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the baking soda evenly over the liner.
Bake the baking soda for 1 hour. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Store in a sealed container until needed in the recipe. Stores well for weeks or longer.TIP: Baking the baking soda increases the alkaline value to resemble the pH of the traditional lye solution used in making German pretzels. If you can find it, you can use lye solution, but baking soda works and is more convenient.
Make the Pretzel Dough:
To activate the yeast, measure out the total water amount and heat in the microwave to 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C).
In a small bowl, add yeast, brown sugar, and ~59 ml (¼ cup) water taken from the measured 295 ml (1¼ cups) and stir until dissolved. Set aside ~10 minutes to become bubbly and frothy.TIP: If after 10 minutes, the yeast is not bubbly or frothy, the yeast maybe too old or the liquid too hot. Start over with a fresh new batch of yeast and warm water that’s not too hot.
To the bowl of a stand mixer, sift in flour. Add salt. Use the paddle attachment and turn on low speed to combine the flour and salt. Dice shortening and add it to the flour mixture. Run the machine on low to medium to break up the shortening and mix into the flour.TIP: If not using a stand mixer, use a large bowl, mix with a spoon until stiff and knead by hand.
Switch out the paddle attachment with the dough hook. With the machine on low add the activated yeast mixture.
Slowly pour in the remaining 236 ml (1 cup) of water. Knead for 8-10 minutes and scrape down bowl edges as needed. The dough should be tacky but not sticky and should pull away from the bowl edges. Add additional water or flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed to reach a tacky consistency.
Mound the dough into a ball at the bottom of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and allow the dough to sit 5 minutes.TIP: You can make the dough a day ahead and store it covered in the fridge. The dough will rise as it sits so store it in a bowl about twice the size of the dough.
Divide & Shape Pretzels:
Scoop the dough out onto an unfloured work surface. Divide the dough into 10 “equal” pieces by weighing or eyeballing the portions. The total weight should be around 820 g divided by 10 = 82 g per dough portion.TIP: An unfloured work surface provides friction making it easier to roll out and shape the dough.
Roll each dough piece into logs about the length of a sausage. Place each log on a plate (side by side) and cover with a towel.TIPS: Rolling the dough pieces into short logs first allows them to adjust to that size before rolling them much thinner. Covering the dough prevents a crust from forming as they sit.
Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining each with parchment paper or silicone mats. Set aside.
Remove one dough log and cover the remaining with the towel. Roll the log on the unfloured work surface into a long 20- to 22- inch rope tapering the ends.TIP: For a true German pretzel, leave the middle (belly) of the rope thicker than the ends resulting in a chewy center. The tapered ends (arms) will be crunchy.
Form the pretzel shape by shaping the rope into a “U”. Then, cross the ends to twist. Twist two times. Lift the ends and place each at the bottom “corners” of the “U” and press to seal the ends to the "U" base. Place the pretzel on the prepared baking sheet and cover with a towel to prevent a crust from forming on top. Continue rolling and making the pretzel shape with remaining dough pieces.TIP: Dip fingers in water if the dough sticks or to encourage it to stick when sealing the ends and edges as needed.
Once all pretzels are on the baking sheet, if they retracted, stretch them out so the holes are clearly defined. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes. You can also place them in the refrigerator for at least an hour, but the freezer is best.TIP: Freezing the pretzels firms them making them easier to lift and place in the alkaline solution prior to baking.
Dip, Top, & Bake Pretzels:
Preheat the oven to 450˚F (232˚C).
For the dipping solution, add the baked baking soda to a large wide-mouth bowl or stock pot. Gradually add 4 cups cold water and stir. Stir until the baking soda has dissolved and the water is clear. This will take a few minutes.
Remove one of the baking sheets from the fridge.
Lift one or two pretzel(s) and place in the dipping solution. Allow to sit in the solution for 30 seconds, use 1 or 2 slotted spoon(s) or fork(s) to flip and sit in the solution for another 30 seconds. Use the utensils to remove the pretzel(s) from the solution allowing excess liquid to drip. Return pretzel(s) to the baking sheet. Continue dipping the remaining pretzels sitting in the solution for 30 seconds per side.TIP: Using two utensils to flip and lift the pretzels eliminates touching the alkaline solution which is salty and can irritate the skin.
Sprinkle salt over the tops of each pretzel. If you want a sweet version, sprinkle a mix of cinnamon and sugar.TIP: For other toppings, you can sprinkle on seeds (poppy, pumpkin, sesame, Nigella, caraway, etc.), seasonings (onion flakes, everything bagel, etc.), or grated cheese (like Parmesan).
Bake the pretzels for 25 minutes or until desired brownness. Remove and cool for a few minutes. Eat and enjoy!TIP: I prefer to bake one pan at a time to ensure an even bake and browning. As one pan bakes, you can prepare the next by dipping and topping the remaining pretzels.
Video
Notes
Serving Suggestions:Serve the pretzels simply as is. Consider dipping them in your favorite condiment or sauce like sweet or spicy mustard, cheese, barbecue sauce, or even chocolate.Storage Suggestions:Store baked pretzels sealed in a bag or container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, place in a sealed bag or container in the freezer for several months. Remove as desired and heat in the microwave until heated through.Make-Ahead Option:If you’re pressed for time and really want to make these pretzels with your kiddos, here’s quick guideline on making them in stages.
Day 1: bake the baking soda (or bake days before),
Day 2: make the dough and store overnight covered in the fridge,
Day 3: divide, shape the pretzels, and place them in the freezer,
Day 4: dip the pretzels in the alkaline solution, bake, and enjoy.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes. Until next time, go bake the world!
Spiced Carrot Cake Scones with Cream Cheese Orange Glaze
These spiced, sweet, and decadent Carrot Cake Scones are based on the combination of the English carrot cake using (British) mixed spice and Scottish scones. Keep them simple or elevate their elegance with a cream cheese orange glaze and toppings to include toasted coconut and shredded carrots. Why not add chopped walnuts or pineapple for additional crunch and flavor? Consider making a batch of Carrot Cake Scones for your Easter breakfast table, an afternoon snack, or any day of the week. 😉
A Little Carrot Cake Origin
Carrots were first used in dessert as a sweetener during the 10th century. Due to a honey shortage, an Arabian chef began using carrots as a “sweet” substitute.During World War II when England was rationing food including sugar, carrots began making an appearance in those sought-after sweet cakes since carrots could be grown in most anyone’s garden. We can thank the Americans for that added indulgence of cream cheese frosting to those orange-y British delights.
Scottish Scones are Royalty! Who Knew??
Scone Royalty
Scottish scones are actually a royal treat! Well, sort of. The word “scone”, given to this bread, comes from the medieval town of Scone located in southeastern Scotland about 50 miles north of Edinburgh. It was once the royal hub for Scottish coronations (hence royalty😉). The scone bread we know today likely derived from the Scottish “bannock”, a simple, thin, round flatbread. The first recording of a type of a bread called a “scone”, was in 1513 by King James V of Scotland. Royalties ate this bread likely while in the town of Scone suggesting the reason for its name.
Scottish Scones versus American Biscuits
If you are American and have never eaten a scone or Scottish and have never eaten an American biscuit, then… you almost have. Scottish scones and American biscuits are very similar. Scottish scones are generally a little sweeter and often have mix-ins like currants or raisins. They are typically served during teatime with clotted cream and fruit jam or preserves. The American biscuit is generally not sweet and often served with butter and jam for breakfast or used as the bread in a breakfast egg and sausage sandwich.
My Carrot Cake Scones Recipe Inspiration
It’s the Season!!
Since spring is the season for introducing warmth, more fruit and vegetables, and Easter, I wanted to create a recipe that encompasses it all. I’ve made carrot cake scones before, but I wanted to create my own version that tasted more English using (British) mixed spice and common carrot cake ingredients with the texture of a Scottish scone (American biscuit). Let’s not forget the “clotted cream” topping and additional textures.
(British) Mixed Spice You Say?
British Mixed Spice (though technically not labeled as “British” in Great Britain) is used all over the United Kingdom in many sweet baked goods. It consists of a combination of many warm spices, some of which are more difficult to find in the United States (like mace). However, if you can find all the spices, it’s an incredible addition to your sweet treats. You can check out my recipe for mixed spice in the “notes” section of the recipe at the end of this post. In fact, I use it in my Hot Cross Buns recipe. The Carrot Cake Scone recipe I’m sharing in this post is based on common flavors and cuisine eaten in Great Britain.
My Carrot Cake Scones Recipe Description
These scones are light and tender, filled with grated carrots and brown sugar for sweetness, orange zest for freshness, mixed spice for warm flavors, and butter cut throughout for moistness, richness, and outer crispiness. The cream cheese orange glaze and optional toppings (coconut, walnuts, shredded carrot, or orange zest) elevate these scones to shear indulgence like a cake. Let’s check them out!
Carrot Cake Scones Ingredients
This recipe has quite the list of ingredients, but the list includes common pantry or refrigerator items. The scone dough includes all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, butter, freshly grated carrots, orange zest, heavy whipping cream, vanilla, egg, and traditional British mixed spice (or cinnamon). The cream cheese glaze also includes cream cheese, powdered sugar, and juice from the zested orange.
all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, butter, freshly grated carrots, orange zest, heavy whipping cream, vanilla, egg, traditional British mixed spice (or cinnamon), along with cream cheese, powdered sugar, and juice from the zested orange
Prepare the Baking Sheet
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
parchment lined baking sheet
Combine the Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add 420 grams (3½ cups) of all-purpose flour. Add 12 grams (1 tablespoon) of baking powder, 2 grams (½ teaspoon) of baking soda, 3 grams (½ teaspoons) of salt and 2 grams (~1½ teaspoons) of mixed spice or cinnamon. Whisk all the ingredients until combined.
TIP: Mixed spice is a common spice used in British baking though not as popular in other parts of the world. You can easily make it from scratch using a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, mace, cloves, ginger, and coriander. You can find this mixed spice recipe in the Carrot Cake Scones recipe at the end of this post.
420 g (3½ cups) all-purpose flour3 g (½ tsp) salt
12 g (1 tbsp) baking powder2 g (~1½ tsp) mixed spice or cinnamon
2 g (½ tsp) baking sodawhisk to combine
Whisk in Brown Sugar
To the dry ingredients, add 128 grams (⅔ cup packed) brown sugar. Whisk until mixed well and coated with the other dry ingredients.
128 g (⅔ cup packed) brown sugar
whisk to blend in the brown sugar
Cut in Butter
Use a pastry cutter, knives, forks, or food processor to cut in 170 grams (¾ cup / 1½ sticks) of diced cold butter. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles small peas.
170 g (¾ cup / 1½ sticks) butter (diced and cold)
cut in butter using pastry cutter, knives, forks, hands, or food processor
Stir in Carrots & Orange Zest
To the dry ingredients, add 110 grams (1 cup) of freshly grated carrots and the zest from 1 small- to medium- size orange. Stir until the carrot and orange bits are separated and coated with the flour mixture.
TIP: Be sure to use carrots that you grate or shred yourself because fresh carrots contain more moisture and are finer/thinner than the store-bought shredded or julienne versions. The extra moisture embedded in each carrot shred contributes to the tenderness in this recipe.
110 g (1 cup) freshly grated carrots (not pre-packaged)
zest from one orange (small to medium size)
stir to coat each bit w/ flour mixture
Combine Wet Ingredients
In a separate bowl or measuring cup, add 177 milliliters (¾ cup) of heavy whipping cream or half and half. Pour in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Crack 1 large egg in a small bowl, beat, and pour it into the whipping cream and vanilla mixture. Whisk or stir until well blended.
177 ml (¾ cup) heavy whipping cream or half and half
2 tsp vanilla
1 large beaten egg
quick stir to combine
Stir Wet into Dry Ingredients
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the whipping cream mixture into the well. Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
pour wet mixture into dry and stir until moistened
Quickly Knead the Scone Dough
Scoop the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead a few times to ensure all flour and moisture are mixed in well.
TIP: If you have dough sections with too much moisture, those areas will spread more in the oven when the scones bake resulting in unevenly shaped scones.
scoop dough onto floured work surface
knead until wet & dry are evenly dispersed
Pat Out Dough & Cut into 12 Rounds
Pat the dough out to 1-inch thickness. Use a large 3-inch round biscuit or cookie cutter (or drinking glass) to cut out rounds. Place the rounds 1-inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. You should get 12 large round scones. Continue to knead, shape, and cut out rounds with any extra dough.
TIP: If you don’t have a 3-inch biscuit/cookie cutter, use anything round that’s a little smaller or larger. As a result, you may have a little more or less than 12 scones.
pat to 1-inch thicknessrelease each round
use 3-inch biscuit or cookie cutterplace rounds ~1 -inch apart on baking sheet
or use anything round close to 3 inches in diameter12 total rounds at 3-inches in diameter
stamp out rounds
Brush Cream on Scones & Freeze
Pour 1 tablespoon of heavy whipping cream or milk in a small bowl. Brush the cream or milk over the top of each scone. The cream keeps the scones wet allowing them to expand upwards as they bake. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
TIP: For a make-ahead option, you can store the scones frozen for several days or weeks until ready to bake them. If you intend to store them longer than a couple of hours, remove them from the baking sheet once they are frozen and place sealed in a bag or container to avoid freezer burn.
pour 1 tbsp of heavy whipping cream or milk in a small bowl
brush cream on the tops of each scone
all scones are topped w/ cream
Preheat Oven & Bake
While the scones are in the freezer, preheat the oven to 400˚F (204˚C). Remove the scones from the freezer and place them in the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Once removed from the oven, allow the scones to cool.
frozen scones going in the oven
scones baked: hot out of the oven
Make the Cream Cheese Orange Glaze
Combine the Cream Cheese & Powdered Sugar
In a small bowl, add 113 grams (4 ounces / ½ package) of softened cream cheese. Mash it down with a spoon or fork to increase the softness. Then, add 180 grams (1½ cup) of powdered sugar. Use a fork or whisk and mix until smooth.
TIP: For ease, you can use an electric hand mixer to combine all the glaze ingredients.
113 g (4 oz / 1/2 pkg) cream cheese, softened
mix the cream cheese to ensure softness
180 g (1½ cup) powdered sugar
mix cream cheese & powdered sugar until smooth
Whisk in the Orange Juice & Vanilla
Pour in 15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) of orange juice taken from zested orange. Add in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and no lumps remain. Add more orange juice as needed to reach a thick enough consistency to hold its shape and stay on the scones but thin enough to easily spoon it on the scones. Cover and store the glaze in the fridge until you’re ready to eat the scones. You can make the glaze days ahead of time.
use juice from zested orange
15 ml (1 tbsp) orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
whisk adding more orange juice until smooth and creamy
Close-Ups of Baked Carrot Cake Scones
Exterior Perspective
Notice the even brownness on the tops, sides, and bottoms. This sturdy bread rose and gained height in the oven (they shrink some as they cool). You can spot the grated carrots. The exterior is crispy thanks to the caramelized butter and brown sugar.
evenly brown all around
Carrot Cake Scones without glaze or toppings
Interior Perspective
On the inside, they are tender from the butter and heavy whipping cream. You can spot the grated carrots and the orange zest. The brown coloring is due to the mixed spice and brown sugar.
Carrot Cake Scones Interior
Add Elegant, Flavorful Glaze & Toppings
Once the scones have cooled completely and when you’re ready to serve them, you can add the toppings. Spoon the glaze generously over each scone that will be consumed at that time. For added elegance, texture, and décor, you can add toppings. I like to top the glaze with toasted or shredded coconut. If you have extra orange zest or shredded carrots, add those too. If you want a bit of crunch and nutty flavor, try adding some chopped walnuts. There are so many ways to go from simple to an indulgent, elegant scone with this recipe. Now that’s a gorgeous scone from simple to elegance.
If consuming later, store the glaze covered in the fridge separately from the scones until ready to serve them. You can store scones sealed in a bag or container at room temperature for up to 4 days while storing the glaze in the fridge for up to a week. For longer storage, place the scones sealed in a bag or container in the freezer for up to several months. Then, heat from frozen in the microwave until heated through. Add glaze and toppings as desired and enjoy.
(British) Mixed Spice Substitute
If you don’t have, can’t find, or unable to make the British mixed spice, you can sub the mixed spice with ground cinnamon, pumpkin, or apple pie spices in the same amount. The traditional flavors will be altered some by not using mixed spice, but you will still produce a very good Carrot Cake Scone. To make your own mixed spice see the recipe in the “notes” section below in the recipe.
Carrot Cake Scones Final Thoughts
Yummy! These scones are quite addicting in my opinion and the season is just right for them. Carrots, orange, and mixed spice provide a pleasant flavor combination profile. The butter and whipping cream add to the crispy exterior and tender internal crumb. They are very rich and tasty even before adding the cream cheese orange glaze. The glaze takes these scones over the top in flavor, sweetness, richness, and texture. They are simple by themselves but elegant when adding the glaze and optional toppings like toasted coconut and grated carrot. Serve these for Easter, no reason at all, or for an elegant brunch with family and friends.
Carrot Cake Scones: Baker’s Perspective
Making Scones = Making American Biscuits
Making scones reminds me of making American biscuits except for more ingredients. It’s as easy as mixing the dry ingredients, cutting in the butter, and finally stirring in the wet ingredients. You don’t even need to use a rolling pin, since you can pat out the dough and cut out rounds. I choose to freeze my cut-out scones as I find the really cold butter gives the bread a flaky, tender crumb. Freezing also helps the scones maintain their shape without spreading too much, though they will spread some.
Make-Ahead Option, too!
You can make these scones days before and store them in the freezer until you’re ready to bake them. The simple cream cheese glaze on top is like making the icing for cinnamon rolls. You can also make the glaze a day or two ahead of time and store it in the fridge. While scones are traditionally Scottish, some ingredients and techniques are certainly reminiscent of other familiar breads in other countries.
Carrot Cake Scones: Taster’s Perspective
Hot out of the oven the scones have a crispy exterior and soft interior. Like with a traditional carrot cake recipe, carrots are not defined as the orange zest and spices overtake the carrot flavor. However, the carrot pieces are visible and add texture along with a very minor “healthy” component. 😉
Individual Ingredient Influences
The British mixed spice adds a nice mixed spice flavor without any one spice overpowering the overall flavor, not even the cinnamon! The orange zest adds freshness to balance out the heavy butter and whipping cream combination. The use of butter encourages a brown, crispy exterior while the heavy whipping cream adds moisture and tenderness to the overall crumb.
Cake, Bread, or Both?
They really do seem like a cross between a cake and bread with the soft, rich, and tender crumb like a cake mixed with a hearty bread texture. They would make a satisfying breakfast, snack, or dessert. The scones taste great by themselves, but the cream cheese orange glaze elevates the flavors to total indulgence!
Spiced Carrot Cake Scones with Cream Cheese Orange Glaze
These spiced, sweet, and decadent Carrot Cake Scones are based on the combination of the English Carrot Cake using British Mixed Spice and Scottish Scones. Keep them simple or elevate their elegance with a cream cheese orange glaze and toppings to include toasted coconut and shredded carrots. Why not add chopped walnuts or pineapple for additional crunch and flavor? Consider making a batch of Carrot Cake Scones for your Easter breakfast table, an afternoon snack, or any day of the week.
420g(3½ cups) all-purpose flourfluffed, scooped, and leveled off if using a measuring cup
12g(1 tbsp) baking powder
2g(½ tsp) baking soda
3g(½ tsp) salt
2g(~1½ tsp) mixed spice or cinnamonmixed spice recipe below in Notes section
128g(⅔ cup packed) brown sugar
170g(¾ cup / 1½ sticks) butterdiced and cold
110g(1 cup) freshly grated carrots (~12 baby carrots or 1+ large carrot)not pre-packaged
zest from one orangesmall to medium size
177ml(¾ cup) heavy whipping cream or half and halfplus 1 tbsp for brushing over scones
2tspvanilla
1largeegg
Optional Mix-Ins:
½cupshredded coconut
½cupchopped walnuts
½cupchopped dried pineapplegolden or crimson raisins or dried cranberries
Cream Cheese Orange Glaze:
113g(4 oz / 1/2 pkg) cream cheesesoftened
180g(1½ cup) powdered sugar
15ml(1 tbsp) orange juicefrom zested orange
1tspvanilla extract
Optional Toppings:
toasted shredded coconut
shredded carrot
walnuts
orange zest
Instructions
Make the Scones:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, mixed spice or cinnamon, and salt. Whisk well to combine.TIP: Mixed spice recipe is below in the notes. You can sub entirely with cinnamon, pumpkin, or apple pie spice.
Add brown sugar and stir until mixed well and coated with the dry ingredients.
Cut in butter using a pastry cutter, knives, forks, or a food processor until the mixture resembles small peas.
Stir in freshly grated carrots and orange zest until mixed well.TIP: Use carrots that you grate or shred yourself because fresh carrots contain more moisture and are finer/thinner than the store-bought shredded or julienne versions.
In a separate bowl, add whipping cream and vanilla. Crack the egg in a small bowl, beat, and pour it into the whipping cream. Whisk or stir until well blended.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the whipping cream mixture into the well. Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
Scoop the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead a few times to ensure all flour and moisture are mixed in well. Pat the dough out to 1-inch thickness. Use a large 3-inch round biscuit or cookie cutter (or drinking glass) to cut out rounds and place 1-inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.TIPS: You should get 12 large round scones. You may have more or less scones depending on the size of your cutter. If you have dough sections with too much moisture, those areas will spread out more in the oven when baking resulting in uneven sizes.
Pour 1 tbsp of whipping cream or milk in a small bowl. Brush the cream on the tops of each scone. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.TIP: For a make-ahead option, once the scones are frozen, place them in a sealed bag or container and freeze until you're ready to bake them (days or weeks later).
While scones are in the freezer, preheat the oven to 400˚F (204˚C).
Remove the scones from the freezer and place in the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Allow scones to cool while making the glaze.
Make the Cream Cheese Glaze:
In a small bowl, add the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar. Use a fork or whisk and mix until smooth. Pour in orange juice and vanilla. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and no lumps remain. Add additional orange juice as needed to reach desired consistency. Store covered in fridge until ready to eat the scones.TIPS: For ease, you can use an electric hand mixer to combine all the glaze ingredients. You can make the glaze ahead of time and store in fridge.
Add Glaze & Toppings to Cooled Scones:
Once the scones have cooled completely, if eating immediately, spoon the glaze generously over each scone and add optional toppings. If consuming later, store the glaze covered in the fridge separately from the scones until ready to serve.
Video
Notes
Storage SuggestionsIf consuming later, store the glaze covered in the fridge separately from the scones until ready to serve. You can store scones sealed in a bag or container at room temperature for up to 4 days while storing the glaze in the fridge for up to a week. For longer storage, place scones sealed in a bag or container in the freezer for up to several months. Then, heat from frozen in the microwave until heated through. Add glaze and toppings as desired and enjoy.British Mixed Spice SubstituteIf you don’t have, can’t find, or unable to make the British Mixed Spice, you can sub the Mixed Spice with ground cinnamon (or pumpkin or apple pie spices). The traditional flavors will be altered some by not using Mixed Spice, but you will still produce a very good Carrot Cake Scone.Mixed Spice Recipe (makes 1 tbsp; enough for 3-4 batches of Carrot Cake Scones)1 tsp ground cinnamon1 tsp ground nutmeg1 tsp ground allspice¾ tsp ground mace¼ ground cloves¼ tsp ground ginger¼ tsp ground corianderCombine all ingredients. Sift through a mesh sifter. Store in a sealed container for up to 6 months.
You might be interested in these other sweet bakes.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes. Until next time, go bake the world!
Are you looking for a simple and easy, sweet and fruity, gluten-free, low-fat, vegan dessert? Why not a Po’e pudding cake? The Rapa Nui people on Easter Island in the South Pacific have a traditional dessert called Po’e. It’s a dense banana-focused, moist, cake-like pudding. Basically, it’s a cross between a moist, dense banana bread and a thick, dense pudding. I’m excited to share my version that uses traditional ingredients found on Easter Island that you can easily find in your local grocery store.
A Little about Easter Island
Rapa Nui Moai Volcanic Rock Statues
While called Rapa Nui to its inhabitants, the name Easter Island was given by Dutch explorer, Jacob Roggeveen, on Easter Sunday in 1722. It is the southeastern most island of the Polynesian islands in the south pacific that is home to about 8,600 people. It is a bilingual Spanish and Rapa Nui language Chilean territory located 2,200 or so miles off the coast of Chile. If you’re familiar with Easter Island, then you have probably seen the moai volcanic rock monolithic statues often shown (image above) to represent the island. These statues were carved sometime between 1250-1500 by the Rapa Nui, the island’s indigenous people, to represent their ancestors who appear to watch over and protect the people and the island. There are 900-1,000 of these statues with a “new” one recently discovered in a dry lake bed.
Variations of the Po’e Pudding Cake
The different Polynesian Islands have variations of this dessert. Some are made with plantains while others contain pumpkin. Some have wheat flour while others use a vegetable starch like tapioca, potato, or corn. Either way, you get a sweet, moist, dense satisfying fruity pudding dessert. Let’s check out my simple version.
My Easter Island Po’e Pudding Cake Version
How I Learned about Po’e
I first heard about this dessert while learning about Easter Island’s annual celebration called Tapati Rapa Nui meaning Rapa Nui Week. The festival celebrates Rapa Nui culture during the first two weeks in February. It highlights Polynesian culture with music, dances, body “war” paint, traditional attire, and sports competitions between the island’s ancestral clans who battle for the title of “Queen”. Each clan selects a female to represent the clan during the games. The clan with the most points at the end of the two weeks becomes the winning clan and their female representative is crowned queen for the year.
How I Decided on the Ingredients
During the celebration and throughout the year, one of the favorite sweet treats is the Rapa Nui Po’e pudding cake. In creating my version of this traditional dessert, I decided to use ingredients commonly found and grown on Easter Island which include fruit like bananas and sweet potatoes along with fruit or root byproducts like tapioca starch. The remaining ingredients are few and don’t include dairy, eggs, or gluten. It’s a simple and easy dessert appropriate for those with common food allergies.
Po’e Pudding Cake Ingredients
You don’t need to be a baker to make this satisfying dessert. All you need are sweet potatoes, ripe bananas, vanilla, tapioca flour or starch, salt, brown sugar, and the optional coconut cream to dollop on top. Could it be a simpler bake?
sweet potatoes, ripe bananas, vanilla, tapioca flour or starch, salt, brown sugar, and the optional coconut cream to dollop on top
Preheat Oven & Grease Baking Dish
Since this dessert comes together very quickly, preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C). Grease a 2-quart (8×8-inch) baking dish with coconut oil or cooking spray.
TIP: For easy pudding removal, I opt to use my hands to spread the oil around the pan to ensure it gets in the corners of the pan.
2-quart (8×8-inch) baking dish
grease w/cooking spray or oil
Pulverize the Sweet Potatoes
Peel and chop 266 grams (2 cups) of sweet potatoes into large chunks. Place them in a food processor and blend until smooth. Root vegetables like sweet potatoes are commonly grown on Easter Island. I like adding sweet potatoes to this dessert because they add texture and a pretty orange tent to the pudding cake.
266 grams (2 cups) of sweet potatoes
peel & chop sweet potatoes into chunks
place sweet potatoes in a food processor
process scraping down bowl edges
Peel, Chop, & Process the Bananas
Peel and cut 350 grams (2 cups = 3-4) of bananas into large chunks. Add them to the food processor and blend again until both bananas and potatoes are smooth. Bananas are the dominate flavor in this dessert. If you don’t like bananas, you can use less but their smooth gelatinous texture creates a smooth pudding-like cake.
350 grams (2 cups = 3-4) of bananas; cut into large chunks
place large banana chunks in food processor
process until smooth & creamy
Add the Remaining Ingredients
Pour in Vanilla
Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla and pulse a few times until blended.
2 tsp vanilla
pulse a few times to combine
Add the Dry Ingredients
To the food processor add 110 grams (1 cup) of tapioca flour/starch; you can substitute with potato starch or cornstarch. I prefer tapioca because tapioca starch comes from the cassava root plant that is commonly grown on Easter Island. Add 1½ grams (¼ teaspoon) of salt. Then, add 112 grams (½ cup packed) of brown sugar. Use a spoon or spatula to slightly combine the dry with the wet to help the machine begin the mixing. Turn on the machine and process the ingredients until smooth; no lumps or streaks of dry mixture should be visible.
110 g (1 cup) tapioca flour/starchquick stir to help the machine begin mixing
1½ g (¼ tsp) saltprocess until smooth & creamy (no flour streaks)
112 g (½ cup packed) brown sugar
Pour Mixture into Prepared Baking Dish
Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Use a spatula to smooth out the top if needed.
spoon into baking dish
smooth out the top
ready for the oven
Bake the Po’e Pudding Cake
Place the pudding in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes until firm. The top center should be firm to the touch.
Po’e Pudding Cake Baked
Cool the Po’e Pudding Cake
Once baked, allow the pudding cake to cool at room temperature. You can serve this pudding cake warm or cover and place in fridge until ready to serve. The pudding cake tastes great days later.
Cooled Po’e Pudding Cake1st Slice Cut & Cooled
Add Optional Toppings for Texture & Elegance
You can simply cut the pudding cake into 9 pieces and eat as is. If you want to serve it with elegance and texture, place each slice on a serving plate. Then, top each with a dollop of coconut cream which is the natural cream formed at the top of a can of coconut milk; don’t shake the can prior to opening. You can add grated raw sweet potato, sliced bananas, toasted or flake coconut, and a sprinkling of brown sugar on top of the coconut cream for added texture.
TIP: If adding sliced bananas, toss the bananas in a liquid acid (juice from a lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, etc.) to prevent oxidation and browning.
optional toppingssprinkling of grated raw sweet potato
add a dollop of coconut cream from the top of a can of coconut milkcrushed toasted coconut chips
small dollop of coconut creamsprinkling of brown sugar
Po’e Pudding Cake Up Close
Notice the orange and pink hues from the sweet potato. It is a thin dessert with pudding-like texture. It’s best to slice into squares. The pudding cake slices through cleanly due to the dense moist texture. It holds together well. You can spot small pieces of sweet potato. The banana comes through clearly as the house smells like banana bread. To serve, place slices on serving plates and top each with a dollop coconut cream which is optional. You can add sliced bananas and/ or additional brown sugar on top of the cream for added texture.
Thin Pudding-Like TextureSmooth Cut-Side of a SliceClose Up of the ToppingsTopped Slice Ready for Serving
Storing Suggestions for Po’e Pudding Cake
You can leave the pudding cake in its baking dish and cover to store. Store it without the toppings in the fridge for up to a week. Add the toppings only when serving.
Po’e Pudding Cake Final Thoughts
This Po’e dessert is simple, sweet, and fruity. It’s a hearty sweet dish that works well for a satiating sweet breakfast, snack, or dessert. It’s filling dish without leaving you sluggish. It would make a pleasing spring or summer dessert.
Po’e Pudding Cake Baker’s Perspective
What an easy dessert with simple ingredients! It’s almost a one-pot dessert since all the ingredients are blended in a food processor. Once the sweet potatoes and bananas are processed, the mixture resembles a smooth and creamy orange sherbet or sorbet. I like that you don’t need to be a baker to make this dessert. While the final product looks a little monotonous, by adding the simple toppings you elevate the visual appeal, flavor, and texture of the whole dessert; it’s totally worth the extra few minutes for that. However, we loved the dessert as is… no toppings needed for great flavor and simple snack.
Po’e Pudding Cake Taster’s Perspective
Po’e is a dense banana flavored moist cake-like pudding. It’s a cross between a moist, dense banana bread and a thick dense pudding. The bananas are the dominate flavor with a nice vanilla overtone. The sweet potatoes, while mostly undetected in flavor, add a sort of pretty orange color to the dish and add texture to the otherwise one-sided smoothness. If you’re looking for something a little different that’s gluten free, low in fat, and mostly allergy free, this just might be the dessert for you. We have really enjoyed eating this pudding cake and hope you do too.
The Rapa Nui pudding cake is a dense banana-focused, moist, cake-like pudding. This is a simple recipe that includes bananas, sweet potatoes, starch, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt. These simple ingredients make this dessert gluten free, low fat, and vegan. You can make this easy dessert elegant with lots of toppings.
266g(2 cups) raw sweet potatoespeeled and cut into chunks
350g(2 cups = 3-4) ripe bananaspeeled and cut into chunks
2tspvanilla
110g(1 cup) tapioca flour/starchpotato starch, cornstarch, or arrowroot starch
1 ½g(¼ tsp) salt
112g(½ cup packed) brown sugar
Optional Toppings
1cancoconut milkspoon the cream at the top of a can on individual slices
toasted coconut or coconut flakes
grated raw sweet potato
brown sugar
sliced bananas
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375˚F (190˚C). Grease a 2-quart baking dish with coconut oil or cooking spray.
Peel and chop sweet potatoes into large chunks. Place them in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Peel and cut bananas into chunks. Add them to the food process and blend again until both bananas and potatoes are smooth. Add vanilla and pulse until mixed well.
To the food processor, add the starch, salt, and brown sugar. Use a spoon or spatula to stir just enough to combine the wet and dry ingredients to help the machine begin blending. Process the ingredients until smooth without any lumps or streaks of dry mixture.
Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes until firm.
Once baked, allow the pudding to cool at room temperature. Serve warm or cover and place in fridge until ready to serve. When serving, slice into squares and top each serving with a dollop of coconut cream. You can add other toppings for extra flavor and texture. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Storage Suggestions:You can leave the pudding cake in its baking dish and cover to store. Store it without the toppings in the fridge for up to a week. Add the toppings only when serving.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes.
This Mardi Gras King Cake consists uniquely of dollops of enriched yeast dough marbled throughout with cinnamon and sugar (hence the twist!), baked in a Bundt pan, and topped with a lemon powdered sugar glaze along with purple, green, and gold colored sugar. While this heavenly light dessert is called a cake, it’s actually a brioche-style yeast dough with layers of cinnamon and sugar. The flavors and textures are a cross between a French brioche sweet bread and cinnamon rolls baked in the shape of a cake and topped with lots of sweetness.
Mardi Gras Origins (A Little Taste… A Blend of Christianity & Pagan Festivals)
A form of Mardi Gras celebration began during Europe’s Middle Ages sometime between the 5th and 15th centuries. It was originally a pagan celebration to bring in spring and celebrate fertility. Around the 17th century it made its way to Italy and France and called Boeuf Gras (fatted beef). In Italy, it morphed into a Roman Catholic celebration with the idea of blending Christian teachings and pagan festivals to appeal to the masses.
Mardi Gras found its way just south of New Orleans in 1699 via Montréal’s French-Canadian Jean Baptiste Le Moyne (aka Sieur de Bienville). The first known celebration began in 1703 minus the large parade of celebration it is today. It was still called Boeuf Gras and occurred on Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, which eventually became its name. Its purpose was to signify the end of indulgence and the beginning of Lent, the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday, a time for fasting among temptation and sacrifice like what Jesus did in the wilderness. While celebrated worldwide, some of the biggest and most popular celebrations of Mardi Gras (Carnaval, Carnival, etc.) today are in Nice, France; Venice, Italy; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and New Orleans, Louisiana (USA).
The Traditional New Orleans-Style Mardi Gras King Cake: The Basics
Mardi Gras cakes are not difficult to make. The traditional Mardi Gras cake is an enriched with butter, lightly sweetened yeast dough rolled with an in internal swirl of cinnamon (or other flavors like chocolate, cream, or fruit curd), shaped into a wreath, and baked on a cookie sheet. The easiest way to describe this “cake” is that the flavors and texture are reminiscent of frosted cinnamon rolls except the entire dough roll (before slicing like in making cinnamon rolls) is curved around so the ends touch and baked to resemble a wreath.
Mardi Gras King Cake Significance
Did you know that Mardi Gras cakes have a season? That’s right! The idea began during the Middle Ages in Europe commencing on Epiphany (January 6th) and ending on Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), always 40 days before Easter Sunday with the date changing each year. The idea of the cake is to celebrate the birth of baby Jesus and the acknowledgement of his divinity when the three wise men visited bringing gifts. This is the reason the cake is called “King Cake”. While the cake (bread) began as a simple bread dough baked in the shape of a ring, overtime it has become quite indulgent with cinnamon and lots of sugar to include glazes and colored sugar toppings. The two most significant elements of this cake are the three colors on top (purple, green, and gold) and the plastic baby Jesus hidden within after baking.
Significance of the Traditional Purple, Green, and Gold Colors of Mardi Gras
Purple, green, and gold are the three colors traditional to Louisiana’s Mardi Gras celebration. While no one truly knows the actual reason for these colors, there is a theory. These colors were the choices of King Rex who is the annual Mardi Gras King; a new King is chosen each year. During the first Mardi Gras parade in 1872, King Rex thought he needed his own “kingdom” with designated colors and a flag. The choice of three colors might have been influenced by the many typical tri-color country flags around the world. The specific three colors were selected based on their significant meanings. For simplification, we can say that he likely chose purple as it’s a typical royal color and symbolizes justice. Green stands for faith since the celebration is a combination of Christianity and paganism. And gold/yellow represents metal worn by royalty and symbolizes power.
LSU (Louisiana State University) and Tulane each chose one or two of the Mardi Gras colors. It is thought that since those colors were in abundance at local stores and establishments when the universities were selecting their sports signature color(s). LSU drew the long straw (not really) and selected first by buying out the gold and purple. It appears that Tulane drew the short straw (again, not really) since they snagged the remaining green.
Significance of the Fève (Charm), Baby Jesus Hidden Within the Mardi Gras King Cake
plastic babies to represent baby Jesus
Mardi Gras cakes originated to celebrate both the birth of baby Jesus and the end of indulgence. Overtime a small baby or charm was added to the cake to represent that birth and sacrifice. This idea again goes back to the blending of Christian and pagan customs. With that, we can clearly see the elements of both since the Mardi Gras colors on top don’t necessarily represent baby Jesus (though the meanings could be implied) but rather non-religious secularism of the parades and parties.
Directions for Using Baby Jesus in a Mardi Gras King Cake
Once the cake is baked and has cooled,poke a small hole anywhere in the underside of the cake. Push the little plastic baby (small toy, almond, or bean, etc.) into the hole. You can use anything small to represent the charm/fève. When you serve slices of the cake, whoever receives the slice with the baby (or designated charm) is king or queen for the day and is responsible for supplying the next year’s Mardi Gras cake. You can give the lucky new royal a crown to wear on their head for the remainder of the day. Many of the store-bought Mardi Gras cakes sell cakes with a plastic baby for the buyer to put in the cake themselves along with a paper gold crown for the “winner” to wear. Such a fun tradition!!
poke small hole in baked cake
push baby Jesus or charm into the hole
My Mardi Gras Marbled King Cake Inspiration
I dreamed up this cake during the middle of night (my most productive working and thinking time of day). Since I knew a traditional Mardi Gras cake consists of a lightly sweetened yeast dough with cinnamon and sugar, I woke up with the idea of taking the basic Mardi Gras cake and turning it into a monkey bread/pull apart bread. I created a cinnamon roll dough recipe with the traditional lemon and nutmeg nuanced flavors and followed a cinnamon roll-type filling with just cinnamon and sugar, no butter needed.
On my first recipe test, I realized that the pull-apart idea didn’t pan out exactly as planned. Instead, I ended up with the dough pieces fusing together to create a beautiful marbled bread with lots of swirls of cinnamon and sugar. I was pleasantly surprised and actually LOVED how it turned out. It tasted incredible with the lemon glaze and crunchy sugar on top. I’m excited to share my version of a traditional New Orleans-style Mardi Gras cake with the unique twist of marbled cinnamon and sugar dough pieces fused together in a tall cake-like bread with the common lemon and nutmeg nuances. Let’s check it out…
My Mardi Gras MARBLED King Cake Ingredients
For my Mardi Gras Marbled King Cake ingredients, the dough consists of yeast, granulated sugar, milk, butter, salt, eggs, vanilla, nutmeg, lemon zest, and all-purpose flour. In addition, the filling includes ground cinnamon. For the glaze and colored sugar topping, you’ll need, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and purple, green, and yellow decorative sugar. For the colored sugar you can use either store-bought or homemade; I used a simple homemade version for this blog post with the directions listed in the Notes section of the recipe at the end of this post.
granulated sugar, milk, butter, salt, eggs, vanilla, nutmeg, lemon zest, and all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and purple, green, and yellow decorative sugar
Activate the Yeast
Pour 236 milliliters (1 cup) milk into a measuring cup. Heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds until the mixture reaches 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C). Measure out the 100 grams (½ cup) of granulated sugar into a small bowl.
In a stand mixer bowl, add 14 grams (2 packages) of yeast. Add 1 tablespoon from the measured-out granulated sugar. Pour in about half of the heated milk (118 milliliters / ½ cup). Whisk until the yeast is dissolved. Set the mixture aside for about 10 minutes until bubbly and frothy.
TIPS: I prefer using whole milk in this recipe since the extra fat produces a tender bread crumb.If not using a stand mixer, use a large mixing bowl and continue following the directions.
236 ml (1 cup) milk heat to 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C)remove 1 tbsp from the measured-out sugar
Dice 57 grams (4 tablespoons / ½ stick) of softened butter. Add the diced butter to the remaining 118 milliliters (½ cup) of milk in the measuring cup. Microwave it for 30 seconds. Stir the mixture until the butter is just melted adding 5 to 10-second increments until the butter is completely melted.
TIP: Very soft room temperature butter or diced, cold butter melts more quickly. Warmer or less mass requires less heat. If heating just until butter is melted, you likely don’t need to let it cool. It should be at just the right temperature between 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C).
melt in microwave for 30 seconds & stir until completely melted
Stir in Sugar & Salt
Add the remaining granulated sugar and 7.5 grams (1¼ teaspoons) of salt (if using salted butter) or 9 grams (1½ teaspoons) of salt (if using unsalted butter). Stir and set the mixture aside until it has cooled to 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C) if needed. The mixture may already be cool enough to use if you heated the butter just until melted.
Whisk the milk mixture into the yeast mixture. Crack 2 eggs in a separate bowl and add them separately. Then, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla, ½ teaspoon of nutmeg, and the zest from one large lemon (yes, all of it!). Whisk the mixture until combined. Lemon and nutmeg are commonly found in traditional Mardi Gras cakes adding freshness and a little spice.
TIP: Crack each egg separately into a small bowl to eliminate stray eggshells and a bad egg from getting into the other ingredients.
yeast is activatedwhisk each separatelyzest from 1 large lemon
pour in mixturepour each egg into the yeast mixture½ g (½ tsp) nutmeg
crack 2 eggs separately in a bowl1 tsp vanilla extractwhisk all together
Add Flour & Knead
Measure out 480 grams (4 cups) of all-purpose flour. Whisk in about half of the flour (2 cups /240 grams). Use the dough attachment of your stand mixer and begin on low speed (levels 1-2). Gradually, add the remaining 2 cups (240 grams) of flour while the machine is running.
Scrape down the bowl edges as needed. If the dough is sticky, add 1 tablespoon of additional flour at a time until the dough is elastic, tacky, and pulls away from the bowl. The dough should not be sticky or look dry. Continue to scrape down the bowl edges as needed. I usually need 4-5 more tablespoons of flour for my environment. Increase the speed to low-medium and knead in the stand mixerfor 8-10 minutes.
TIP: If not using a stand mixer, stir all the ingredients as described in a large mixing bowl. As the dough becomes too thick to stir, transfer dough to a floured surface and begin kneading by hand for 10 minutes.
480 g (4 cups) all-purpose flourscrape down bowl edges as neededdough is no longer sticky; has enough flour
whisk in half of the flourdough is still stickydough kneaded for 10 minutes
whisk until all combined w/wet ingredientsadd 1 tbsp of flour at a time until tacky
knead in remaining flour using dough hook or spoon by handdough pulls away from bowl edges; has enough flour
Shape Dough & Cover to Rise
Use a spatula and scrape down the bowl edges. Spray the top and sides of the dough with cooking spray or oil and roll the dough around in the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or towel (or both). Place the bowl in a warm area to rise for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
TIP: Rolling the dough in oil or cooking spray prevents a crust from forming on the exposed dough as it sits and aids in releasing the dough from the bowl.
scrape down dough from bowl edges
oil top and sides of dough
roll dough around in oil
cover dough to rise for 1-2 hours
Prepare Pan, Deflate Dough, & Roll Flat
Prepare the Bundt or fluted pan by greasing it if needed. If using a nonstick pan, there’s no need to grease it. Once prepared, set it aside.
Once the dough has risen, deflate and roll it out flat. Treat the dough like you would cinnamon roll dough. Deflate it in the bowl with a spatula and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat or roll out the dough into a 16×10-inch rectangle.
select baking pan (Bundt or fluted like angel food cake)flour well work surface & begin flattening out dough
dough risen & doubledpat or roll dough out into 16×10-inch rectangle
deflate by scraping down dough edges
Make Cinnamon Sugar Filling & Top Dough
In a small bowl, use a fork to combine 50 grams (¼ cup) of granulated sugar and 9 grams (1½ tablespoons) of ground cinnamon. Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture over the dough to the edges and pat the mixture lightly into the dough.
TIP: Patting the filling into the dough helps it to adhere keeping most of it within the dough while cutting it.
50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugarpour cinnamon & sugar mixture all over dough
9 g (1½ tbsp) ground cinnamonspread out evenly with hands & press into dough
mix the ingredients together
Roll Dough like a Cinnamon Roll & Divide
Start at one short endand roll up the dough tightly. For a typical Mardi Gras cake, you would at this point curve the ends around in the shape of a wreath, seal the ends, and place it on a baking sheet to rise. For a tall, marbled cake, we have an extra step. Use a serrated knife to cut the dough in 12 “equal” slices like you were making cinnamon rolls.
TIPS: A serrated knife works well to cut the rolls and prevents smashing as you slice. Eyeball the 12 slices by cutting the roll in half. Cut each half in have again. Then cut each quarter in thirds. That will result in 12 relatively equal portions.
roll up dough tightly from a short endcut each half in half to equal 4 sections
all rolled into a logslice each quarter into thirds to equal 12
cut into 12 pieces by 1st cutting in half
Quarter Rolls & Place in Bundt Pan (The Unique Marbled Twist!)
Place each slice, one side down, on the work surface. Cut each slice into quarters. Roll or lightly squeeze each quarter in a ball as best as you can to keep the cinnamon and sugar contained. Place each dough piece in the prepared pan. Scatter the dough pieces placing them on top of others. If any cinnamon and sugar mixture has fallen out, simply roll the quarters in it before placing the quarters in the pan. If you have any cinnamon and sugar remaining on the work surface, just add it at the end to the top of the dough in the pan.
place individual roll cut-side down on surfaceplace each quarter evenly in the pan
slice each into quartersall dough pieces are evenly distributed
roll or mold each quarter to hold in the cinnamon & sugar filling
Cover Dough & Rise
Cover pan with plastic wrap or a towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm area for 30 to 45 minutes until nearly doubled in size.
cover pan & allow dough to puff up for 30-45 minutes
Preheat Oven & Bake
During the last 20 minutes or so of the rise, preheat the oven to 350˚F (177˚C).
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. If you have a food thermometer, the internal temperature should reach 190°F (88˚C). Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
dough is puffed & ready to bake
cake/bread is baked
Remove Cake & Add Charm
After cooling, run a knife around the inside edge of the cake pan to loosen the cake. Invert the cake to release it onto a serving plate to cool completely. At this time, you can add the traditional plastic baby (called a fève) or other charm or small toy through the bottom of the cake; simply push it up and through.
after a slight cool, run knife along pan edge
cake/bread easily removes from the pan
poke hole in bottom & place baby/charm inside
Make Lemon Powdered Sugar Glaze & Top Cake
To make the glaze, add 240 grams (2 cups) of powdered sugar to a small bowl. Whisk in 1 teaspoon of vanilla, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice (traditional to Mardi Gras glaze), and milk (1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency). I find 3 tablespoons is enough in my environment for drizzling as it holds its shape while still oozing just a little down the sides.
Once the cake has cooled, spoon the glaze over the top of the cake to cover and use a sweeping motion so the glaze touches the sides to allow it to seep down the cake sides. The glaze should ooze down a little along the cake edges.
TIP: To keep a “clean” serving plate, place strips of wax paper along the bottom edges of the cake to catch dripping glaze and sugar.
1 tsp vanillaplace strips of wax paper under the edge of each cake side to keep the serving plate clean while decorating
2 tsp lemon juicedrizzle glaze over cooled cake in a sweeping motion to allow drizzle down the sides
3-4 tbsp milk
Sprinkle with Traditional Purple, Green, & Gold Colored Sugar
Cover the top of the cake glaze with sections of purple, green, and gold colored sugar. Add as much as you want. Ensure the colors are defined on top of the cake. A simple homemade recipe for making these colored sugars are in the Notes section of the recipe at the end of this post. You can dive into the cake and eat immediately, but it’s best to let it sit so the glaze dries and solidifies against the cake edges. Drying may take an hour, but you can leave it covered overnight to consume the following day.
TIP: If using wax paper to catch the glaze and sugar, once dry, carefully slide the wax paper strips out from under the cake maintaining all dripping glaze and sugar that falls. Scrape off the excess glaze and sugar from the wax paper and use it to top the serving pieces for extra sweetness.
homemade purple, green, and gold sugar
with glaze still wet, sprinkle on each sugar in sections
carefully remove the wax paper strips along the edges to catch dripping glaze & fallen sugar
Mardi Gras King Cake is ready to eat
Mardi Gras King Cake Close Ups
This cake (or bread) is sturdy and holds its shape. The glaze solidified against the bread. The colored sugar sticks well to the glaze. The white glaze looks nice as the backdrop to the sparkling-colored sugar. Since this is a bread, it slices cleanly particularly if using a serrated knife. Upon removal, the cake is tall with the marbled cinnamon and sugar throughout each slice. Notice that the dough dollops fused during baking thus looking like a single unit of bread. Baby Jesus made a surprise appearance since I didn’t mark where he was… total coincidence that I cut right to him!! 😊
Top view of Mardi Gras King Cake Final ProductSide View of Mardi Gras King Cake Final ProductInternal View of Mardi Gras King Cake Final ProductSliced View of Mardi Gras King Cake Final ProductBaby Jesus Makes a Surprise Visit
Storing the Mardi Gras King Cake
Store the Mardi Gras King Cake covered at room temperature for several days. For longer storage, slice and place each in a sealed bag or container and store in the freezer for several months. When ready to eat it from frozen, remove desired slices and heat in the microwave for 30-45 seconds and enjoy.
Mardi Gras King Cake Final Thoughts
This Mardi Gras cake makes a great sweet breakfast bread like a coffee cake or cinnamon roll. While Mardi Gras cakes are significant to Mardi Gras, if you eliminate the colored sugar or use different colors, you can happily eat and serve this cake any time of year or for any holiday celebration. It’s a fantastic less-sweet alternative to a regular cake for dessert. If you like cinnamon rolls, you’ll definitely enjoy this.
Mardi Gras King Cake Baker’s Perspective
This cake is a cinnamon roll-type dough made like any enriched, sweetened bread dough. There are quite a few steps from start to finish but nothing difficult. A little time is needed to roll out the dough into a rectangle. Since I liked the marbled idea of fused dough pieces, I chose not to brush the flattened roll with butter like a traditional cinnamon roll but instead just top the dough with a mix of cinnamon and sugar (one less step. 😉) Rolling the dough into a long roll, slicing it into 12 pieces, and quartering each piece is very easy and require little work. The dough pieces in the Bundt pan are beautiful and create an interesting visual texture to the top.
The toppings to include the lemon powdered sugar glaze is simple to made just like any other glaze. I discovered homemade sugar is so easy to make and MUCH cheaper than buying it commercially. Unless you have an abundance of “fancy” colors, I found that a simple food coloring pack of 4 colors that you buy for dyeing Easter eggs works just as well. AND, you have another use for those dyes. In fact, I’m hoping to share a post in the future on using natural dyes like beets, blueberries, turmeric, etc. as food coloring. More to come on that one! 😊
Mardi Gras King Cake Taster’s Perspective
This recipe is such a nice twist and an incredibly good take on the traditional Mardi Gras King Cake. We loved the consistent flavors of cinnamon and lemon throughout the cake. The nutmeg was very nuanced but added a little spice. If you really like nutmeg, you can certainly double the quantity to ensure it receives a welcomed seat at the flavor table. 😉
While this cake (bread) is uniquely tall since it’s baked in a Bundt/fluted pan, the lemony powdered sugar glaze drizzled all over along with the crunchy colored sugar on top add balance in flavors and textures. We loved the crunchy sugar topping… more texture and defined sweetness! This cake, while a sweet bread, is not as sweet as you might think because the glaze and colored sugar are limited in proportion to the tall cinnamon and sugar swirled bread.
Altogether, the flavors, textures, and visual appeal complement each other making this unique version a keeper in my household. We crave this cake (bread) and hope you enjoy making and eating it as much as we do. 😊
Mardi Gras Marbled Bundt King Cake: A Beautiful Twist on Tradition
This Mardi Gras King Cake consists of dollops of enriched yeast dough marbled throughout with cinnamon and sugar (hence the twist!), baked in a Bundt pan, and topped with a lemon powdered sugar glaze along with purple, green, and gold colored sugar.
236ml(1 cup) milk (whole preferred)divided at 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C)
100g(½ cup) granulated sugardivided
14g(4½ tsp / 2 pkg) active dry yeast
57g(4 tbsp /½ stick) buttersoftened
7.5g(1¼ tsp) salt if using salted butteror 9 g (1½ tsp) salt if using unsalted butter
2large eggsbeaten
1tspvanilla extract
1largelemon, zest onlysave lemon juice for glaze
½g(½ tsp) nutmeg
480-540g(4- 4½ cups) all-purpose flour
Combine the Filling:
50g(¼ cup) granulated sugar
9g(1½ tbsp) ground cinnamon
Make the Glaze & Sugar Topping:
240g(2 cups) powdered sugar
1tspvanilla
2tsplemon juice
3-4tbspmilk
green, purple, and gold decorative sugarstore-bought or homemade (recipe in recipe Notes section)
small plastic baby, small toy/charm, almond, or bean, etc.for the fève that is hidden in the baked cake
Instructions
Make the Dough:
Pour milk into a measuring cup. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds until it reaches 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C). Measure the granulated sugar into a small bowl.TIP: I prefer using whole milk in this recipe since the extra fat produces a tender bread crumb.
In a stand mixer bowl, whisk together yeast and 1 tbsp of the measured out granulated sugar. Pour in about half of the heated milk (118 ml / ½ cup). Whisk until yeast is dissolved. Set aside for ~10 minutes until bubbly and frothy.TIP: If not using a stand mixer, use a large mixing bowl and continue following the directions.
Add diced butter to the remaining 118 ml (½ cup) milk. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir until butter is just melted adding 5 to 10-second increments until butter is completely melted.TIP: Very soft room temperature butter or diced, cold butter melts more quickly. Warmer or less mass requires less heat. If heating just until butter is melted, you likely don't need to let it cool. It should be at just the right temperature between 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C).
Stir in sugar and salt. Set aside until mixture has cooled to 100˚F-110˚F (38˚C-43˚C) if needed. The mixture may already be cool enough to use.
Whisk milk mixture into yeast mixture. Add beaten eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and nutmeg. Whisk until combined.TIP: Crack each egg separately into a small bowl to eliminate stray eggshells and a bad egg from getting into the other ingredients.
Measure out 480 g (4 cups) of flour. Whisk in about half of the flour (240 g/2 cups). Use the dough attachment of your stand mixer and begin mixing on low speed (levels 1-2). Gradually, add the remaining 2 cups (240 g) of flour while the machine is running. Scrape down bowl edges as needed. If the dough is sticky, add 1 tbsp of additional flour at a time until the dough is elastic, tacky, and pulls away from the bowl. It should not be sticky or look dry. Continue to scrape down the bowl edges as needed. I usually need 4-5 more tbsp for my environment.TIP: If not using a stand mixer, stir all the ingredients as described in a large mixing bowl. As the dough becomes too thick to stir, transfer dough to a floured surface and begin kneading by hand.
Increase speed to low-medium and knead in the stand mixer for 8-10 minutes. If kneading by hand, knead for 10 minutes adding flour as needed.
Use a spatula to scrape down bowl edges. Spray the top and sides of the dough with cooking spray and roll the dough around in the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or towel (or both) and place the bowl in a warm area to rise for 1-1½ hours or until doubled in size.TIP: Oil or cooking spray prevents a crust from forming on the dough as it sits and aids in releasing the dough from the bowl.
Make the Filling:
Prepare a Bundt or fluted panby greasing it if needed.If using a nonstick pan, there's no need to grease it. Once prepared, set it aside.
Once the dough has risen, deflate it in the bowl with a spatula and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat or roll out dough to a 16×10-inch rectangle.
In a small bowl, use a fork to combine sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the cinnamon mixture over the dough to the edges and pat the mixture lightly into the dough.TIP: Patting the filling into the dough helps it to adhere keeping most of it within the dough while cutting it.
Start at one short dough end and roll up the dough tightly like a cinnamon roll. Cut the rolled dough into 12 equal slices. With each slice cut side down on work surface, cut each slice into quarters. Roll each quarter in a ball as best as you can and place each dough piece in the prepared pan scattering them around and placing them on top of others. Cover with plastic wrap or towel and allow the bread to rise in a warm area for 30 to 45 minutes until puffed up and near doubled in size.TIPS: A serrated knife works well to cut the rolls and prevents smashing as you slice. Eyeball the 12 slices by cutting the roll in half. Cut each half in have again. Then cut each quarter in thirds. That will result in 12 relatively equal portions. If any cinnamon and sugar fall out, just roll the dough pieces in it or wait until after the all the dough is in the pan and scoop it over the top of the dough.
During the last 20 minutes or so of rising, preheat the oven to 350˚F (177˚C).
Bake & Make the Glaze:
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190°F (88˚C). Allow the cake to cool slightly in the pan for 10 minutes.
After cooling a slight cool, use a knife and run it along the outside edge to release the cake. Invert the cake to release it completely onto a serving plate to cool completely.
To make the glaze, add powdered sugar to a small bowl. Whisk in vanilla, lemon juice (from the zested lemon), and milk (1 tbsp at a time until you reach the consistency you want. Add 3-4 tbsp total that drizzles some down the sides but holds shape on top of the cake.
Once cooled completely, spoon the glaze over the top of the cake to cover and use sweeping motion to encourage it to run down the cake sides. The glaze should ooze down a little along the cake edges.TIP: To keep a "clean" serving plate, place strips of wax paper along the bottom edges of the cake to catch dripping glaze and sugar.
Cover the top of the cake glaze while the glaze is still wet with sections of store-bought or homemade gold/yellow, green, and purple colored sugar. Allow the glaze to solidify taking about an hour to overnight. Slice, serve, and enjoy.TIP: If using wax paper to catch the glaze and sugar, carefully slide the wax paper strips out from under the cake maintaining all dripping glaze and sugar that falls. Scrape off the excess glaze and sugar from the wax paper and use it to top the serving pieces for extra sweetness. 😉
Video
Notes
Homemade Mardi Gras Colored Sugars (more than enough for 1 King Cake)Gold / Yellow Sugar:*50 g (¼ cup) cane sugar (large granules are best)*4-6 drops yellow food coloring (to reach desired color)*1 ziptop sandwich bagGreen Sugar:*50 g (¼ cup) cane sugar (large granules are best)*6-8 drops green food coloring (to reach desired color)*1 ziptop sandwich bagPurple Sugar: *50 g (¼ cup) cane sugar (large granules are best)*6 drops red coloring*4 drops green coloring*1 ziptop sandwich bagDirections:
For each color above, add sugar to the ziptop bag. Add food coloring. Zip bag and shake until the color is dispersed and evenly coats the sugar granules. Add more food coloring until desired color is reached.
Pour each bag of sugar out onto wax paper on a baking sheet and spread it out. Ensure to keep each color separate. Allow each color to dry uncoverd for a couple of hours to overnight. Once dry, use sugar or place in a sealed container or bag and store at room temperature until needed.
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Ranch Dressing & Seasoning Mix
