Overnight Danish Buns with Yoghurt

I currently live in Hamburg, not that far away from the Danish border. One thing I notice is that you find a lot of Scandinavian products here. Cheeses of various kinds, Rødgrød (red berry sauce), and Flæskesvær (fried pork rind) are only a few. It probably comes as no surprise that I felt I wanted to try a Danish recipe for buns. So here you go with a delicious bun prepared with yoghurt the night before.

Danish people are probably as obsessed with bread as are Germans. They have perfected the simple cold cuts on a delicious slice of bread, their Smørebrød is known worldwide. The buttered rye bread is crowned with a creative topping, this can be a cold cut, but ranges from vegan to extremely meaty options. I was fortunate enough to try Smørebrød when I was in Copenhagen and can highly recommend it. If you have the chance, try it, I find it extremely delicious (see also pictures).

Smørebrød as found in Copenhagen

Anyway, so as I was saying, since I live so close to Denmark now, I felt it was time to try a Danish recipe. I decided for a bun with wheat flour. When I was looking for a recipe, I learned that Danish people like buns to be light and fluffy, that’s why they often add yoghurt to the mix and why the dough will feel really soft. I was very tempted to add more flour when I was kneading the dough, but I must warn you, the more flour you add, the more likely it is that your buns will taste dull. Moist is a word Danish like to use a lot to describe how the bread or bun should be. Light in texture, like a feather, but also full of flavor.

When I was in Copenhagen I managed to buy some local flour our host recommended to us (no, I am not paid to show this flour), but I am sure you will also find some way to create the right flour mix or to buy good high gluten flour. It is definitely worth it. The flour is Type 812 in Germany, which, as far as I can tell, can only be found in some of the larger EDEKAs, or on Amazon, see for example here. I believe in the U.S. it is not as hard to come by. You will have to look for a high gluten flour or bread flour. Please let me know in the comments if you found good places where to get the flour.

Credit: As found on the back of the flour package Okologisk Ølandshvedemel from Meyers (in Danish)

Print Recipe

Overnight Danish Buns with Yoghurt

Serves: 16 buns or 2 bread loaves

Prep Time: 15min + 10 hrs chilling/rising – Cooking Time: 20min – Total Time: 10 hrs 35min

This Danish buns with yoghurt are prepared the night before and are extremely fluffy and light. You will use bread flour or high gluten flour and have them rise in the fridge.

Ingredients

• 600 grams of lukewarm water
• 60 grams of plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon of honey or molasses
• 22 grams of fresh yeast (half a cube)
• 5 grams of salt
• 750-800 grams of high gluten or bread flour (I used the Danish Okologisk Ølandshvedemel)
• Optional: Some milk or heavy cream for brushing
• Sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds or any other seeds for topping

Instructions

1

On Day 1 stir water, yoghurt, honey, and salt together in a bowl and dissolve the yeast in it. Add about 400 grams of flour and stir with a wooden spoon. Add 200 more grams of the flour while stirring. If you have a machine, use the kneading attachment from the beginning.

2

Add the remaining 150 grams of flour and stir with a wooden spoon. Grease your hands with oil and then knead the dough as best as you can with your hands, it is going to be sticky, but try not to add too much flour. Knead for a few minutes. If you have a machine, knead for at least five minutes on low and three minutes on the second level. The dough will be extremely soft, but just leave it like that, it's OK.

3

Cover with a kitchen towel and transfer to fridge. Resting time should be at least 8 hours, but it can easily be kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours or a few days. The flavor will intensify. Resting time 8 hours or more

4

On Day 2 take dough out of the fridge and let sit at room temperature for an hour. Resting time 1 hour

5

Divide dough into about 16 equal pieces and roll each piece in flour generously before placing all on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Cover again with a kitchen towel and let sit for at least half an hour to an hour or until double in size. Resting time half an hour to an hour

6

Optional: brush buns with milk or heavy cream and sprinkle seeds on top.

7

Preheat oven to 250 degrees Celsius. Place a container with about 500 milliliters of water at the bottom of the oven. Lower temperature to 230 degrees.

8

Put the first baking sheet with the buns on lower rack and bake for about 20 minutes or until buns are golden brown. Take out the container filled with water after 5 minutes and reduce temperature to 200 degrees. Repeat with the second batch. I do not recommend baking with circulating air.

Notes

Remember that this is an overnight bun. Leaving the dough in the fridge helps to develop the flavor and is also a slower version to have the yeast do its magic. I do not recommend a first rise at room temperature. Bread doesn't like ovens with circulating air (convection oven). Make sure that you have an extremely hot oven when you put the buns in and that the air is humid (this is where the water container comes in). Only lower the temperature after 5 minutes for buns and about 10 minutes for bread loaves.

Please let me know in the comments if you found good places where to get the flour. And obviously, I would like to know how you like these buns!

Merken

Merken

Merken