Soft yeast dough, a creamy quark filling, and rum-soaked raisins come together in these moist twists, ensuring the sweet filling reaches every fold. They’re perfect for breakfast, an afternoon coffee, or as a fragrant homemade treat.
This recipe takes about 30 minutes to prepare, 1.5 hours to rise, and another 20 to 25 minutes to bake. The quantities below make about 12 to 15 twists. If you find the shaping too tricky, simply cut the dough into spirals—this won’t affect the taste at all.
What You’ll Need
For the yeast dough:
- 400 g plain flour,
- 250 ml lukewarm milk,
- 80 g melted butter, not hot,
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar,
- 1 egg yolk,
- about 18 g fresh yeast, just under half a cube,
- a pinch of salt.
For the quark filling and finishing:
- 250 g block quark (not the creamy tub kind),
- 1 packet vanilla sugar,
- a handful of raisins soaked in rum,
- an egg for brushing before baking,
- icing sugar for dusting at the end.
Step-by-Step Preparation:
1. Making the starter: Take a portion of the lukewarm milk and mix in a tablespoon of sugar and a tablespoon of flour. Crumble in the fresh yeast and let the mixture rise in a warm place.
2. Preparing the dough: In a large bowl, combine the remaining flour, sugar, and salt. Add the egg yolk, melted (but not hot) butter, the rest of the milk, and the risen starter.
3. Kneading and first rise: Work the ingredients into a smooth, elastic dough that doesn’t stick to the bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and let the dough rise for at least an hour, until it roughly doubles in size.
4. Preparing the filling: Mix the block quark with the vanilla sugar. Turn the risen dough out onto a floured surface, knead lightly, and roll it into an even rectangle.
5. Filling and rolling: Spread the prepared quark evenly over the rolled-out dough and generously sprinkle with the rum-soaked raisins. Roll up tightly, just like a roulade, so the filling stays inside the layers.
6. Shaping the twists: Cut the roll into thick spirals about 3 to 4 cm wide. You can leave each piece as a spiral, or gently press it in the middle, stretch it out, and twist it once.
7. Second rise: Arrange the shaped twists with space between them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Let them rise for another 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 180°C.
8. Baking and finishing: Brush the twists with beaten egg and bake at 180°C for about 20 to 25 minutes until golden. Right after baking, you can brush the hot pastries with any leftover rum from the raisins; once cooled, dust with icing sugar.
How to Keep the Quark Filling Inside
Use block quark, as it’s firmer than the creamy tub variety. If the filling is still too runny after mixing with vanilla sugar, add a teaspoon of pudding powder or a little fine breadcrumbs. This will help firm up the filling so it doesn’t leak out during baking.
How to Shape the Twists Easily
If the dough is too soft and shaping is tricky, simply leave the pieces as spirals. The taste will be just as good. Next time, you can chill the rolled-up dough in the fridge for 10 minutes before slicing to make it easier to handle.
Final Tip
You can soak the raisins in rum a day ahead for a more intense aroma. Wrap the cooled twists in a clean tea towel and then place them in a plastic bag. The next day, just warm them for a few seconds in the microwave.
