Ah, humble Buhtle, sweet buns filled with jam, baked in the oven until light and fluffy, then dusted with a generous amount of powdered sugar. Starinske Buhtle sa Dzemom, or old school sweet buns with jam are a dish that been around for many years. Originally hailing from Northern Europe, this sweet dough has become widely known across the Balkans. These days, Buhtle are eaten across the entire region and filled with a variety of fillings. There are even savory versions, which if I’m honest is my favorite. But these….these jam filled ones….transport me right back home.
The first thing you’ll notice when these delicious delicious buns are baking is the sweet subtle scent of lemon. It will permeate the air in your home and will bring on the feelings of days long past, of comfort, of home. And when they finally come out of the oven, the Buhtle will be golden brown, light, fluffy, and tempting. I urge you to go ahead and try one while it’s still warm, but don’t forget the powdered sugar!
Because this is an old-school, no-fuss recipe, it’s extremely simple to make. The most difficult part of the entire process? The wait. Waiting for the dough to rise is not one of my favorite things for sure. So if you plan to make these soon, choose a warm day. The dough will rise in half the time and you’ll be that much closer to enjoying these delicious pillows of goodness. Feel free to use any jam you’d like, I use whatever I have on hand. This particular time, I had some delicious homemade plum jam which was just amazing.
I really hope you give these a try very soon. And if you’ve never had them before, you’re in for a treat!
Looking for more dessert ideas? Check out the dessert section!
Starinske Buhtle sa Dzemom/Sweet Buns with Jam
Course: DessertsCuisine: Balkan5
servings1
hour30
minutes30
minutesStarinske Buhtle, an old-school sweet bun recipe enjoyed all over the Balkans.
Ingredients
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (1 kesica)
1 stick (120 g) butter or margarine
1 cup (200 ml) milk, warm
1 tablespoon active dry yeast (1 kesica)
1 egg, lightly beaten
Zest of 1 lemon
4-5 cups (450-500 g) all purpose flour
1/2 cup (165 g) jam of your choice
Powdered sugar
Directions
- In a small bowl, pour half of the milk, dry yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Stir to combine and set aside to proof.
- In a small saucepan, pour in the rest of the milk and add the stick of butter or margarine. Turn the heat to medium and cook until the butter just melts but not boiling. Once the butter melts, turn off the heat and set aside to cool.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the rest of the sugar, vanilla sugar, lemon zest, and flour. Whisk together to combine.
- When the yeast is ready, to the milk and butter add in the beaten egg and stir. The mixture will still be warm at this point and you will notice it will thicken slightly. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and then add in the yeast and milk as well.
- Begin to knead the dough and continue until you have a smooth compact mass that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Dust lightly with flour on top, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise 45 minutes – 1 hour. If your kitchen is warm this will take less time. The dough is ready when it’s double in size.
- When the dough has risen, transfer it to a lightly floured work surface and knead it briefly. Then, using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a rectangle shape and the thickness of your finger. Finger thickness means when you lay your finger on the work surface next to the dough, the dough should be as thick as your finger, meaning it should not be taller than your finger :).
- Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut out 15 equal squares. Depending on the final shape of your dough, you may need to piece together smaller pieces to make one larger piece.
- At this point, preheat your oven to 350 F (175 C) and grease your baking dish with butter. I use the wrapping paper from the butter stick to grease my pan.
- To the middle of each piece of dough, add in about 1/2 teaspoon of jam. Take each corner and bring it to the middle and pinch the dough together to enclose the jam inside. Then, when you’ve closed the bun, flip it over and roll it gently counterclockwise on your work surface to even out the bottom. Transfer your sweet bun to your baking pan. Repeat this step until you’ve run out of dough.
- After all of the buhtle have been assembled, cover the baking dish and let the dough rise for another 20-30 minutes. Then, transfer your baking dish to the oven and bake the buhtle for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. If they begin to brown too quickly, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and continue baking for the full time. They should be firm to the touch and light-medium brown based on your preference.
- Remove the buhtle from the oven and cover with aluminum foil. Allow to cool 10-15 minutes, giving them some time to soften under the foil.
- Serve warm or room temperature, and store any leftovers in an airtight container or plastic bag.
Notes
- It’s important to give the buhtle time to rise so that you get a nice and fluffy bun. This is the perfect recipe for a warm day or if your kitchen is warm.
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