Grittibänz
With scarf and hat, and the kids love to shape them themselves
Hello gourmets,
Today I'll show you my grittibänz figures. In Germany they are called Stutenkerl or Weckmann. These little figures made from braided dough are pretty, and children love to shape them themselves.
The shaping is really the heart of the recipe: the dough is a simple yeast dough, but the legs, arms, scarf and hat all come from a few well-placed cuts. Step by step, it's easier than it looks.
Ingredients
Yeast dough
Step by step
Yeast dough
Flour and salt
Put 500 g of flour and 1.5 tsp of salt into a large Mixing bowl and mix them lightly. This way the salt does not come into direct contact with the yeast later, which would kill it.
Swiss White flour, 1 kg
Dry yeast - 6 x 11 g
Kitchen scale with bowl, digital 5 kg
Measuring spoon set, 4 pieces (2 - 15 ml)
Milk, yeast and sugar
Pour 270 g of milk into a second Bowl and warm it to room temperature for 30 seconds at 600 watts in the microwave. Add 1 packet of dry yeast and 2 tbsp of sugar.
Add the egg yolk
Mix the three ingredients, then add an egg yolk and stir through again.
Bring together and knead
Press a well into the flour and salt mixture and pour the liquid mixture in. Scrape the Bowl out well with the Dough scraper so that all the yeast comes along. Attach the Dough hook and knead at medium speed.
Butter and ten minutes of kneading
As soon as no more flour sticks to the edge of the Bowl, add the 70 g of cold butter. The dough does not need to be a ball yet for this. On the contrary, the butter blends in better while the dough has not yet come together. Then keep kneading for a good 10 minutes at medium speed.
Let it rise for two hours
Shape a ball, cover the Bowl with a damp cloth and let the dough rise for about 2 hours. It doubles in volume while doing so.
Shaping
Cut the legs
Preheat the oven to 180 °C fan. Weigh out pieces of dough of 140 to 150 g, which makes 6 or 7 grittibänz. Roll each piece into a 17 cm long strand and cut it 4 cm deep from the bottom: these will be the legs.
Arms, shoulders and scarf
Make diagonal cuts on both sides to form the arms. Then a second time for the shoulders and a third time for the scarf. The pictures make clear what is meant.
Scarf and hat band
Take the two ends of the scarf between your fingers and roll them a bit longer and thinner, then cross them and the scarf is done. Next, roll out a very long, very thin strand: this becomes the hat.
Put the hat on
Fold the strand in the middle and twist it into a rope. Lay it on the head of the gritti bänz. Important: the two ends must sit under the head, otherwise the hat will come loose while baking.
Eyes and buttons
For the eyes and buttons I use Baking-stable chocolate pieces. Press them well into the dough, otherwise they will rise up again while baking.
Baking-stable dark Chocolate drops
Baking-stable Milk chocolate drops
Silicone Baking brush
Pearl sugar
Let it prove once more
A man, a woman, a crazy hairstyle: here everyone can do as they like. My children shaped hedgehogs and turtles. Place the figures on a perforated tray with a perforated mat and let them prove for another 15 minutes.
Baking
Brush with egg
Brush the little figures with a brush and beaten egg. Be generous with it, then they will turn a lovely golden brown.
Sprinkle on pearl sugar
Sprinkle on pearl sugar. I use it for the feet and the caps. It is not just decoration, it also gives that typical sweet bread flavour. If the chocolate pieces have worked their way up in the meantime, press them in firmly once more.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes
Put the grittibänz into the oven, preheated to 180 °C, for 25 to 30 minutes.
Grittibänz
Ingredients
Yeast dough
Decoration
Preparation
- Dry ingredients: Mix 500 g flour with 1.5 tsp salt, this way the salt does not touch the yeast directly.
- Liquids: Warm 270 g milk to hand temperature, then stir in the dry yeast, 2 tbsp sugar and 1 egg yolk.
- Kneading: Combine the two, add 70 g cold butter and knead for 10 min. on medium speed.
- Proving: Cover and leave to prove for 2 hrs., until the volume has doubled.
- Shaping: Roll pieces of 140 bis 150 g into 17 cm long strands; cut in the legs, arms, scarf and hat.
- Decorating: Press the chocolate pieces in firmly, leave to prove for 15 min., brush with egg and scatter on pearl sugar.
- Baking: 25 bis 30 min. at 180 °C fan.
Nutritional values per 100 g
Storage & shelf life
Everything for this recipe
Recommended from our bakery: exactly the sizes the recipe was tested with.
Ingredients
Swiss White flour, 1 kg
Dry yeast, 6 x 11 g
Baking-stable dark Chocolate drops
Baking-stable Milk chocolate drops
Pearl sugar
Accessories
Silicone Baking brush
Kitchen scale with bowl, digital 5 kg
Measuring spoon set, 4 pieces (2 bis 15 ml)
Delivery in 1 bis 2 working days · Free shipping from CHF 100
So it turns out perfectly, guaranteed
Mix the salt into the flour first, and the yeast into the milk. If the two meet directly, the dough will not rise properly.
If the twisted rope just sits on top, it comes loose in the oven and the hat is gone. Both ends must be tucked in under the head.
Eyes and buttons rise upwards as the dough proves. Press them in again before baking, otherwise they will fall off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Salt draws water out of the yeast and slows it down. With direct contact, the yeast can die off. That's why the salt goes into the flour and the yeast into the milk, and the two are only combined afterwards.
Traditionally for Samichlaus on 6 December, but throughout the whole Advent season. In Germany the same little figures are called Stutenkerl or Weckmann and appear as early as Martinmas on 11 November.
Yes. Instead of two hours at room temperature, let it rise overnight in the fridge and bring it back to room temperature before shaping. This even makes the flavour more rounded.
Print recipe
Choose what should appear on the printout.
Related posts
Juicy Matcha Muffins with Pecan Nuts & White Chocolate
Matcha Iced Latte & Coconut Variant
Pull-apart bread with fresh wild garlic pesto
Mini Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips
Leave a comment