Franzbrötchen

Ingredients (for 8 franzbrötchen)
For the dough
350 g of 100% Italian Wheat – type 0 flour
150 g of Type 0 Manitoba flour
100 g of caster sugar
15 g of fresh yeast
230 g of lukewarm milk
120 g of softened butter
1 medium egg
Zest of 1 untreated lemon
1 pinch of salt

For the filling
114 g of softened butter
100 g of poppy seeds
30 g of caster sugar
100 ml of milk
Zest of 1 untreated lemon

For the lemon icing
150 g of icing sugar
60 g of lemon juice (juice of one large lemon or one and a half lemons)

Procedure
For the dough
To begin, mix the flours and baking powder in a large bowl or in a stand mixer, then slowly pour in the lukewarm milk and sugar, continuing to knead. Next, add the egg and lemon zest. Continuing to knead with the stand mixer hook or by hand, add the salt and finish with the softened butter. Run the stand mixer on low speed for 15 minutes or until the dough has reached a smooth and elastic consistency, then place it in a greased bowl. Now cover it and let it rest in a draft-free place (for example, the oven turned off with the light on) for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.

For the filling
Meanwhile, prepare the poppy seed filling: in a medium saucepan, combine the milk, poppy seeds, and sugar, then bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce over low heat and cook until all the milk has been completely absorbed by the seeds. This will take about 15 minutes: it must dry out well. When ready, remove from the heat and add the lemon zest. Now stir and then leave to cool at room temperature.

Once the dough has risen, roll it out into a rectangle measuring about 25 x 50 cm, then spread two-thirds of the surface with the softened butter, leaving 1-2 cm free around the edges. At this point, spread half of the poppy seed mixture on the part where you spread the butter, then fold the dough like a wallet, overlapping the unfilled third on the central portion of the dough rectangle. Press down gently to remove any air bubbles and seal the short edges of the dough. Now fold the remaining third over the two already folded parts and repeat the same process of gently pressing out any air bubbles and sealing all the edges around the rectangle. Now rotate the rectangle 90 degrees and gently roll out the dough again with a rolling pin into a 25 x 50 cm rectangle.

Spread the rest of the poppy seed mixture over the dough, leaving 1-2 cm free around the edges, then roll up the dough, placing the seam of the roll underneath. Now let the roll rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to consolidate the dough and make it easier to cut. Then, using a sharp knife, make incisions to divide the roll into 8 slices 2-3 cm wide. Prepare baking sheets lined with parchment paper, then place 4 slices on each baking sheet in a vertical direction. Flour the handle of a wooden spoon well and use it to press down on the center of each roll: this will cause the sides of the slice to rise and wrap around the handle of the wooden spoon. Remove the spoon and repeat the process on the remaining slices. Now let the franzbrötchen rise for 30 minutes before baking while preheating the oven to 375°F in static mode, or 350°F in fan mode. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and, in the meantime, prepare the lemon glaze.

For the lemon glaze
Beat together the powdered sugar and the juice of one lemon to obtain a smooth, whitish syrup (if the glaze is too thick, add a little juice until it reaches the consistency of syrup or runny honey). Immediately after baking, brush or sprinkle the glaze onto the franzbrötchen with a teaspoon and let them cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes
Store the franzbrötchen in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.

In collaboration with Vaniglia Cooking