About
This
Dish

German ‘Hefezopf’

This German Hefezopf is perfect for Springtime baking: as it’s still cold enough outside to enjoy being next to a warm oven, while the birds sing outside in the sunshine. I especially like seasonal baking for a special occasion. And the Easter Weekend is a very good one!

In the UK, hot cross buns are a super popular Easter treat: sweet yeast buns flavoured with lots of cinnamon and other delicious spices, and specked with dried fruit. Traditionally, hot cross buns are eaten on Good Friday – the cross being the symbol for Christ’s crucification. But these days you tend to get hot cross buns in UK supermarkets all year round – so they’ve kinda lost their magic a bit… Since you can’t get hot cross buns in Luxembourg, you may want to make them yourself – I have a great recipe here.

Here in Luxembourg, we’re more influenced by German baking traditions for Easter. So, it’s very popular to make a Hefezopf (yeast plait) this time of year: a yeast dough folded into the shape of a plait, sometimes even a plaited wreath. A Hefezopf often comes plain, and you just spread some butter and jam on top for a delicious breakfast treat. But I prefer the filled version, usually with almonds.

For my recipe I’ve filled my Hefezopf with a cinnamon almond mixture, spiked with a dash of cheeky rum. It really does taste great! This recipe makes two loaves, so I tend to cut one into slices and freeze them, for a nice breakfast treat in weeks to come.

March 29, 2018
Get
You
Hungry