Thread: St Hubert's Day (3 November) mastellen

For weeks I have been searching for non-game recipes for St Hubert's Day...having my little freezer exterminate itself meant that I was forced to share what game I had in there which left me with none *:? * *... I can across one from Belgium, mastellen. The mastellen is historically blessed at the St Hubert's Day mass.
The buns are worked then a dimple or a hole in the centre is made as with a bagel. *

The recipe

500g white flour
500mls of milk
35g dried yeast (it sounds alot but it is needed to raise such a rich dough)

150g butter, softened
10g salt
25g caster sugar
a very heaped tsp ground cinnamon

1 egg yoke
3 tbsp milk

Dissolve the yeast in the milk after heating the milk. *Add a teaspoon of sugar to help it along. * Add the frothing yeast to the flour and knead well...lightly oil the upper surface with sunflower oil and leave to rise.

Mix the salt, sugar and cinnamon together. *Mix the egg yoke and milk well to paint the tops. *

When doubled in size, remove from the bowl, and knead and roll out into a rectangle as you would puff pastry...spread out half the butter over the dough and sprinkle on half the cinnamon and sugar. * Fold up and knead until amalgamated...repeat the process, put the dough back in the bowl and allow to rise.

Grease baking sheets well with butter. * Weigh from the dough 55g pieces, roll into a ball, make a hole or *a dimple in the middle, paint with the egg/milk mix. * Cook for 10 to 15 minutes at 190c. * The dough of the cooked buns is light and fluffy...these would be perfect for mopping up the gravy from a sumptuous saddle of venison or wild boar stew main course.



I sprinkled extra sugar and cinnamon on the top of these. Makes 24 buns.