Sweet Yeast Breads

Appears in
Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafes of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague

By Rick Rodgers

Published 2002

  • About
Stuffed with cheese, nuts, poppy seeds, dried fruit, or preserves, twisted into braids or crescents, rolled into disks and topped with streusel or baked into fluted loaves, sweet breads are beloved by Austro-Hungarians from Prague to Budapest and beyond.
A heavy-duty standing mixer with a dough hook has become standard equipment in many kitchens, and the recipes in this chapter use it. Note that the ingredients for the doughs are first mixed together into a mass with the paddle blade (the dough hook is not designed for mixing), gathered by hand into a ball, and then kneaded with the dough hook. However, all of these breads can be made by hand. Simply mix all of the liquid ingredients and flavorings into a large bowl, and gradually stir in enough of the flour to make a soft, sticky dough. Turn out the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead, adding more flour as needed, until the dough is smooth.