18 pieces

“The snails” (as I still call them) are a real feast for the soul. The recipe is from Kristiane, my mother’s friend. I share this kind of sweet memory of my childhood, because the knowledge of such magical bakery should not be hidden. Kristiane often visited us with her family in our country house. She always brought these fluffy rolls, duly packed (in a German manner). Their scent left a lasting impression in me. Years passed before I dare to prepare this recipe. I even slightly improved it. I would not say it’s complicated, but you still need to have a little past experience with dough … to know it, to feel it …

Products you need for the dough:

540 g white flour (sifted); start with 440 g and add up to 540 g if needed

50 g of unsalted soft butter

40 g of sugar

45 g of fresh yeast

1 egg

1 cup of fresh milk (warm but not hot)

a pinch of salt

lemon essence to taste (you can use raw grated lemon peel if you can get bio lemons)

Products you need for the filling:

170 g of unsalted soft butter

150 g of sugar (preferably brown)

cinnamon to taste (fits much to the rolls, do not spare)

2 handfuls of raisins (optional)

Preparation:

Place the yeast cube in the lukewarm milk and stir. Sprinkle with a pinch of sugar and leave the mixture for a few minutes to activate the yeast.

In a large bowl, I pour the flour (with a well, shaped in the middle). Around the well I add the soft butter (50 g), the sugar (40 g), the egg, the lemon essence and the salt (on the periphery, so that it does not go in touch with the yeast).

Pour the yeast mixture into the well and mix very soft and tender dough.

Leave it to rise, covered with a cotton cloth in a slightly heated, but turned off oven. That’s why I always knead the dough in a heatproof tray.

After it is rised, I knead it slightly and for a short time, on a surface generously sprinkled with flour.

Spread the dough into a sheet about 1 cm thick (using rolling pin).

Spread the filling (that you have prepared before mixing all the necessary ingredients to obtain a creamy consistency) over the sheet.

Roll up the sheet.

Cut 3 cm thick pieces.

I place them in a tray, the bottom of which I have previously lined with greased baking paper at a distance from each other and return them to the oven to rise again.

Bake the rolls in a preheated oven (first at 200ᴼC for 14 minutes, then lower the oven to 175ᴼC and bake for another 8 minutes). Total baking lasts about 20-25 minutes.