Sweet Yeast Crust
Submitted by lynnie2
Sweet yeast crust dough makes a tender, slightly sweet base for fruit tarts, kuchen, or kolache. Two rises, one egg-and-butter enriched dough, ready for any filling.
YIELD
1 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
0 minREADY
120 minThis is a workhorse dough, not a finished pastry. The sweet yeast crust is the foundation for European-style fruit kuchens, German pflaumenkuchen, kolache, or any number of pastries where you need a tender, slightly sweet base that bakes up cushiony rather than crisp like a pâte sucrée.
What makes it sweet but still pillowy is the butter and milk. Cooled to lukewarm before they hit the dough, they enrich the crumb without killing the yeast (anything over 115°F (46°C) and your yeast goes dormant or dies). The single egg adds richness and a faint yellow tint.
The two-rise method is what gives this crust its open, bready texture. The first rise builds gluten and flavor in the bowl. The second rise happens in the pan after you’ve patted it into a thin layer with the dough crawling up the sides. That pan rise lets the dough fluff back into shape, ready for filling.
Patience pays off. Forty-five minutes for the second rise feels long, but if you bake before the dough doubles, you’ll get a dense, bready crust instead of a cloud.
Pro Tips
- Use 110 to 115°F (43 to 46°C) water for the yeast. Cold water won’t activate it; hot water kills it. A finger dipped in should feel just barely warm.
- Knead lightly. This dough wants tender, not chewy. Three or four minutes is plenty.
- A glass measure or a baking stone in the oven below the rising bowl creates a warm draft-free spot if your kitchen runs cold.
- Let the dough come back to room temperature if you’ve refrigerated it overnight before patting into the pan, otherwise it tears.
Variations
- Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract or grated lemon zest to the dough for fragrant European-style flavor.
- Use whole milk for richer dough, or substitute heavy cream for half the milk.
- Sprinkle the rolled-out dough with cinnamon sugar before adding fillings for an extra layer of warmth.
Ingredients
Directions
Lightly grease the baking pan.
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.
In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt until well blended.
In a saucepan, heat the milk and butter, then cool to lukewarm.
Add the warm milk and the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients, then add the egg.
Blend well to form a moist soft dough.
Knead lightly until the dough is soft and smooth.
Return the dough to a clean greased bowl and cover with a damp towel.
Set the dough in a warm place to rise.
Let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
When the dough is ready, punch it down and pat it into a thin layer.
Place the layer into the bottom of the pan folding the excess dough up the sides of the pan making it as smooth as possible.
Allow the dough to rise again, in the pan until it is doubled, about 30 to 45 minutes.
When the dough is double the crust is ready to be filled.
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