Golden saffron knots with white chocolate flavor are a must-bake for the holiday season. When you bake these saffron buns with white chocolate, your whole home will smell delightful! They become extra juicy when you also add almond paste to the filling.
Ingredients
Recipe makes 20 saffron knots
Saffron Dough:
- Yeast: 25 g
- Whole Milk: 2½ dl
- Saffron (0.5 g): 1 packet
- Granulated sugar: ¾ dl
- Butter 75 g
- Egg: 1
- Wheat flour: approx. 8 dl
- Salt: ½ tsp
Filling:
- Almond paste: 150 g
- White chocolate: 50 g
- Butter 100 g
- Brown sugar: ½ dl
- Cornstarch: ½ dl
- Water: 1½ tbsp
Egg Wash:
- Egg: 1
- Water: 1 tbsp
- Salt: 1 tsp
- Pearl sugar: 1 dl
Sugar Syrup:
- Granulated sugar: 1 dl
- Water: 1 dl
Instructions
Saffron Dough:
- Crumble the yeast into a mixing bowl. Heat the milk with saffron to about 37°C (98.6°F). Pour the saffron milk over the yeast and stir to dissolve.
- Add sugar, butter, egg, and flour. Knead the dough for about 8 minutes (or 15 minutes by hand) and then add the salt. Continue kneading until the dough becomes smooth and glossy, about 5 minutes (or 10 minutes by hand). Cover and let it rise under a kitchen towel for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 225°C (437°F) or 200°C (392°F) for fan ovens.
Filling:
- Grate the almond paste and white chocolate coarsely.
- Whisk together butter, almond paste, white chocolate, brown sugar, and cornstarch until light and fluffy. Add the water and mix to create a smooth filling.
Assembling the Knots:
- Work the dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out into a rectangle about 30×45 cm.
- Spread an even layer of the filling over the dough. Fold the dough once and then cut it into 2 cm wide strips (you should get about 20 buns).
- Twist the dough strips and form loose knots. Place them on baking trays lined with parchment paper. Let them rise under a kitchen towel for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Egg Wash:
- Whisk the egg with water and salt. Brush the buns with the egg wash and sprinkle with pearl sugar.
- Bake in the center of the oven for 8-10 minutes.
Sugar Syrup:
- Bring sugar and water to a boil. Brush the buns with the sugar syrup as soon as they come out of the oven. Let them cool on a wire rack under a kitchen towel.
Done! Enjoy your golden saffron knots with white chocolate! 😊