Strawberry Almond Hefekranz

Image of a yeasted braided crown filled with strawberry jam and slivered almonds on a cake stand and cut into.

5 from 1 vote

Strawberry jam and sliced almonds swirled in a yeasted dough, this strawberry almond hefekranz is easier than it looks and perfect for a weekend brunch.

Prep Time45

Cook Time35

Proofing time1 30

Total Time2 50

Course: Afternoon Kaffee, Breakfast

Cuisine: German

Keyword: almonds, hefekranz, strawberry jam

Servings:

Calories: 450kcal

Equipment

Stand Mixer

Ingredients

Dough

550 grams ap flour
15 grams instant yeast
50 grams granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
250 ml milk lukewarm
80 grams butter softened

Filling

400 grams strawberry jam
18 grams sliced almonds

Topping

18 grams sliced almonds
50 grams powdered sugar

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Instructions

Mixing the Dough & Making the filling

Heat the milk until it is just lukewarm, should never get above 100 F.
In a large stand mixing bowl, add flour, yeast, and sugar, and whisk together. Add lukewarm milk, softened butter, vanilla extract, and salt.
Mix together with the dough hook on low speed for 15 min or until the dough is a smooth cohesive ball of dough.
Shape the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel / or proofing bag and set it somewhere warm to rest for 30 minutes.
*IF necessary, while you wait, add the strawberry jam to a small sauce pot and reduce over medium low heat for 15 min; stirring frequently. The jam should reduce to about 325 g. Allow the jam to cool to room temp.
After the 30 minutes have passed, using the dough hook attachment, knead the dough again for another 10 min. Place the dough back in the greased bowl, cover, and let rest for 30 more minutes.

Assembling & Baking

Roll the dough out to 25 cm x 60 cm. Spread with the reduced and cooled strawberry jam - leave a 1/2" border on both short edges and a 1" border on one long edge.
Sprinkle the 1/4 cup of sliced almonds over the jam.
Roll the dough up starting with the long side that has a 1/2" border. Once you have reached the other long edge, seal the empty dry edge of dough to the roll to prevent the strawberry jam from squeezing out.
With the seam side of the roll face down, use a sharp knife and slice the roll lengthwise down the center.
Moving quickly, start in the middle of the log and twist the two halves together as tightly as you can. Press the ends together so they don't untwist.
Bring both ends around to create a circle. Tuck both ends under the opposite sides to create a crown where the ends are hidden.
Place the crown on a lined baking sheet and sprinkle with the remaining almonds. Let it rest somewhere warm for 30 min.
Preheat the oven to 350 F and bake the crown for 35-40 min.
Let the crown cool and dust with powdered sugar!

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