Vegan Buchteln with Vanilla Sauce

Is there anything better than the smell of freshly baked yeast dough wafting through your entire home? Not for us! If you feel the same way, we've got just the right recipe for you: warm Buchteln with vanilla sauce! Who else does this remind of their childhood and cozy Sunday afternoons?

Buchteln, Rohrnudeln, Wuchteln, Beinzla – all the same thing?

Yup! Depending on where you're from, you might know these sweet yeast pastries by a different name. In Austria, they're called Buchteln, in Bavaria often Rohrnudeln or Ofennudeln, and in some regions Wuchteln or Beinzla. No matter what you call them – the principle is always the same: a soft yeast dough is filled with jam, poppy seeds, or quark, shaped into small buns, and baked close together in a baking pan. They stick to each other so you can tear them apart later. Buchteln originally come from Bohemian cuisine and are still a true classic in Southern Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic.

Why you absolutely need to try this recipe

Even if you don't know Buchteln from your childhood, it's definitely worth trying them, and here's why: First, they simply look beautiful when they come out of the oven golden brown. Second, it's a perfect dish for sharing during a cozy afternoon with friends and family. Just place the baking pan in the middle and everyone can tear off a warm piece! Third, the preparation is easier than you think! Sure, the yeast dough needs time, but it does most of the work itself! And fourth, you can decide based on your mood whether and what to fill the Buchteln with. Either, like us, with plum jam? Or traditionally with apricot jam? If you prefer something chocolatey, you can also use a chocolate filling! The only important thing is that the filling isn't too runny, otherwise filling them becomes very difficult. So make sure your jam has a nice, spreadable consistency.

How to make perfect Buchteln:

Sometimes you need to overcome your initial hesitation about working with yeast dough, but with these tricks you'll definitely succeed and it's really not that complicated, promise!

1. The right temperature: Yeast is a living organism and likes it warm, but not hot. The plant-based milk should be at least room temperature. If it's too hot, the yeast dies, and if it's too cold, it won't activate and the dough won't rise.

2. Time is your friend: Yeast dough needs rest to reach its full potential. Plan about three hours for the dough to rise in a warm place. A spot near the heater is ideal.

3. Moisture is key: Yeast dough loves steam. If you have an oven with a steam function, now's the perfect moment to use it! The Steamify function, like in our AEG 9000 Dampfbackofen, automatically adds the right amount of steam, so the Buchteln become slightly crispy on the outside but stay nice and juicy on the inside. The steam prevents the surface from drying out too quickly – exactly what yeast dough needs! The AEG 9000 steam oven not only looks great and is easy to use, it even takes work off your hands because with steam cleaning, the interior can be cleaned effortlessly and with low energy consumption. Sounds great, right?

4. Seal the Buchteln well: Make sure there are no holes in your dough when you seal the filling, otherwise it'll leak out during baking. It's also better to use a bit less filling at first rather than too much. If you want more at the end, you can simply serve extra filling on the side after baking!

5. Vegan butter and cream for the perfect shine: Before the Buchteln go into the oven, they're brushed with a mixture of melted vegan butter and plant-based cream. This not only ensures a beautiful golden-brown color but also makes them extra juicy.

If it were up to us, this should be topped with warm vanilla sauce. It's always a highlight, just like in our recipes for Germknödel, vegan bread pudding, or baked apples. If you're in the mood to try more recipes with yeast dough, you can find plenty more on our blog, for example vegan cinnamon rolls or vegan plum streusel yeast cake.