There is no need for a knife with this brisket and beer meal because it is so juicy and tender.
| Prep Time: | 30 mins |
| Cook Time: | 40 mins |
| Additional Time: | 3 hrs 10 mins |
| Total Time: | 4 hrs 20 mins |
| Servings: | 12 |
| Yield: | 12 buns |
Ingredients
- 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
- ¾ cup lukewarm milk
- 1 tablespoon lukewarm milk
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 4 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
- 1 pinch salt
- vegetable oil, or as needed
- 3 cups grated apple
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 5 ounces freshly ground poppy seeds
- 4 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice, or more as needed
Instructions
- Place potatoes in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook, covered, until soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and let cool, 15 to 20 minutes. Pass cooled potatoes through a potato ricer and set aside.
- Stir 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk and yeast together in a small bowl. Let stand until creamy or foamy, about 10 minutes.
- Combine potatoes, yeast mixture, flour, sugar, butter, egg, lemon zest, and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Knead on low speed until dough is smooth, elastic, and detaches from the bowl, about 5 minutes; dough should be slightly sticky.
- Place dough into an oiled bowl. Turn over to coat. Cover with a damp dish towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
- In the meantime, mix apple, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon for filling together in a bowl. Stir until well combined. Cover and refrigerate filling.
- Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 12×14-inch rectangle. Spread filling evenly over dough, leaving about 1/2 inch free on each long side. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. Roll up tightly lengthwise. Brush seams with a little water and pinch to stick together.
- Place the roll on a large cutting board, seam-side down. Cut into 1 1/2-inch slices using a very sharp knife.
- Fit rolls loosely into a greased 10-inch round or 9×13-inch rectangular baking pan, cut-side down, with a little space between them. Cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place until visibly doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, stir confectioners’ sugar and enough lemon juice together in a bowl to make a thick, spreadable frosting.
- Remove buns from the oven. Brush frosting over rolls while they are still warm.
- Use starchy potatoes. The potatoes together should weigh about 10 ounces total.
- I made these with grey poppy seeds, which is a specialty from the Austrian region of Waldviertel, but you can also make them with regular poppy seeds, just make sure they are freshly ground.
- If dough is too dry, add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time. If too sticky, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- If the buns don’t all fit in 1 greased pan, put them in a second small greased dish. If the tops of the buns are getting too dark before the bake time is up, cover loosely with aluminum foil.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 415 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 68 g |
| Cholesterol | 30 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Protein | 10 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Sodium | 33 mg |
| Sugars | 21 g |
| Fat | 13 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |