Buchteln are Austria’s beloved sweet buns — soft, pillowy yeast buns filled with powidl (dark plum jam), baked side by side in a buttered dish so they pull apart into golden, sugar-dusted pillows. They are the specialty of Vienna’s coffee houses, served warm with vanilla sauce, and they are the taste of an Austrian afternoon. Light, fragrant, and faintly sweet, they are the definition of comfort baking.
Why this recipe works: The dough is a rich, soft yeast dough — flour, milk, butter, eggs, and a little sugar — kneaded until silky. Each portion is flattened, filled with a spoonful of powidl, and rolled into a ball. The balls are packed snugly into a buttered dish so they rise together and bake into soft, pull-apart pillows with jammy centers.
Key ingredients
- Flour, milk, yeast, and eggs: the soft dough.
- Butter: in the dough and the dish.
- Powidl (or any thick plum jam): the classic filling.
- A little sugar and vanilla: the sweetness.
- Powdered sugar: the finish.
Tips for perfect Buchteln
Knead the dough until it is silky and elastic, and let it rise until doubled — enriched doughs need patience. Use a thick, dark plum jam; runny jam leaks out during baking. Pack the filled balls snugly in a buttered baking dish — they should touch, so they rise together. Bake at 350°F until deep golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar while warm and serve immediately, pulled apart, with vanilla sauce.
Variations and storage
Fill with apricot jam, apple, or a spoonful of chocolate. Buchteln are best warm from the oven; leftovers keep 1 day and reheat well in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes.
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