Franzbrötchen are a traditional pastry from Hamburg that are absolutely delicious. Making them yourself is easier than you might think, and it’s the perfect way to impress your friends and family with your baking skills. This recipe will guide you through the process of making these sweet and cinnamon-spiced treats step by step, so get ready to enjoy the ultimate German pastry experience!

Franzbrötchen selber backen. Die müsst Ihr probieren! Das Rezept

Alex from the channel Cooking with Alexander asked me, “Kalle, if I show you Salzburger lockets, will you show me your Franzbrötchen?” So here they are, and for those who want to know how it’s done, watch this video.

As a Hamburger, I have eaten hundreds of Franzbrötchen, and we have a great recipe. Of course, it starts with a yeast dough. To make it, I have 250 milliliters of milk and a block of yeast. To get the yeast started, Alex warms it up to hand temperature, as usual with yeast dough. The other ingredients are quite simple. For our dough, I use 500 grams of flour, 75 grams of sugar, a block of fresh yeast, and an egg. For the filling later on, since Franzbrötchen are filled, I use 200 grams of sugar, 150 grams of butter, and five teaspoons of cinnamon. To help with the dough, he also uses a vanilla pod.

As Alex scrapes out the vanilla pod into the warm milk, I already set the oven to 40 degrees Celsius. While the milk and vanilla mix, I put the flour and sugar mixture into the mixer, but only half of the sugar. The other half will go in later, just to help the yeast.

In the meantime, we can mix the cinnamon and the sugar, which we will need later for the filling. We can also add some warmth to the butter, so it is easier to work with. Alex and I discussed where the name Franzbrötchen comes from, and he said that a clever and engaged Hamburger baker fried some white bread in a pan with cinnamon. It was such a hit that it became a signature food in Hamburg. It is not related to a French king or anything, contrary to the name.

With the ingredients in the mixer, and the yeast now in the milk, we combine the ingredients. We also add a pinch of salt, but to the flour mix not the milk, as the yeast prefers sugar in the milk, not salt. The dough mixes for five to ten minutes, and then we leave it in the warm oven, which helps it rise faster.

The yeast dough is now ready for filling. After letting it rest for about one hour, we take it out, make it into a ball, and roll it out into a rectangular shape. We smear it with the melted butter and sprinkle it with the cinnamon and sugar mixture. We then cut it into individual rolls and press them with a wooden spoon to give them the folded look.

Finally, we put them on a baking tray and bake them for fifteen minutes. The Franzbrötchen come out of the oven golden brown, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They taste sweet but not too sweet, with a fantastic cinnamon flavor.

Alex and I share a Franzbrötchen, and we agree that it’s delicious. The recipe is straightforward, and we had a great time making and eating them. Franzbrötchen comes from Hamburg and is now becoming more popular, even outside of Germany. It is interesting to learn about the history of food and how it develops over time. If you haven’t tried one yet, give it a try.
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