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Krendel
Sweet pretzel-shaped bread
Russia's giant pretzel-shaped name-day bread with cinnamon butter
Name days and birthdays in old Russia called for a krendel: one huge pretzel-shaped sweet loaf, carried to the table whole and torn apart over tea from the samovar. The shape is said to come from Baltic and German bakers in St Petersburg, but the bread itself is very Russian, a buttery yeast dough rolled around cinnamon sugar so the crumb streaks with spice. Serve it with tea, jam or honey and a bowl of sour cream. The pretzel is made from one long filled roll, slit open down its length so the layers show; forgetting to chill the filled roll before slitting is what makes the filling smear and the shape slump. Chef's tip: shape it straight on the lined tray rather than lifting it afterwards, as a filled rope this long tears easily.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb plain flourplus a little for rolling
- ¼ oz instant dried yeast
- 2 ½ oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup whole milklukewarm
- 2 eggsat room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ⅞ oz buttersoftened
For the filling
- 2 ⅛ oz buttervery soft
- 2 ⅞ oz light brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
To finish
- 1 eggbeaten; or brush with milk or a little cream for an egg-free finish
- 1 oz flaked almonds (optional)
- 1 tbsp icing sugar (optional)for dusting
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Method
0/11 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb plain flour, ¼ oz instant dried yeast, 2 ½ oz caster sugar and 1 tsp salt. Add 1 cup whole milk, 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla extract and mix to a soft dough.
Step 2: Knead for 8 minutes, then knead in 2 ⅞ oz butter until the dough is smooth and elastic and comes cleanly off the bowl.
10 minStep 3: Cover and leave in a warm place for 1–1½ hours, until doubled.
75 minStep 4: Beat 2 ⅛ oz butter, 2 ⅞ oz light brown sugar and 2 tsp ground cinnamon to a soft paste.
Step 5: Roll the dough into a 30 × 60 cm rectangle on a floured surface. Spread the filling evenly over it, right to the long edges.
Step 6: Roll it up tightly from one long side into a 60 cm log, pinch the seam and chill on a tray for 15 minutes so it firms up.
15 minStep 7: On a large lined tray, gently roll and stretch the log to about 90 cm. Cross the two ends over each other twice, then lay them onto the loop to make a big pretzel shape.
Step 8: With a sharp knife, slit the top of the roll along its length about 2 cm deep, leaving 4 cm uncut at each end, so the layers open out.
Step 9: Cover loosely and prove for 30 minutes, until puffy. Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan).
30 minStep 10: Brush with 1 egg and scatter over the almonds if using. Bake for 35–40 minutes, covering with foil after 20 minutes if it browns fast, until deep golden and the thickest part reads 88–194°F.
38 minStep 11: Cool on the tray for 10 minutes, then slide onto a rack. Dust with icing sugar if you like. It keeps 3 days wrapped.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does krendel take?
- About 180 minutes in total: 140 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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