There are certain pastries that instantly transport me back to childhood afternoons in Germany — the kind where you’d stop by the local bakery on your way home, and the display case seemed to glow with golden treats. Among them, Streuseltaler were always impossible to resist.
The soft, fluffy yeast dough creates a delightful base. A generous layer of buttery crumble adds rich texture. The thin, crackly lemon glaze on top completes it. It’s the kind of simple pleasure that feels like a warm hug.
Even now, far from those Bavarian bakeries, I find myself craving that familiar combination of softness and crunch. Luckily, Streuseltaler are wonderfully easy to make at home, and the aroma that fills the kitchen while they bake is pure comfort. They’re perfect for a cozy weekend, for sharing with friends, or simply for treating yourself to something nostalgic and homemade.
This version stays close to the classic: a tender yeast dough enriched with butter and lemon zest, a mountain of crumbly streusel, and a bright glaze that ties everything together. They taste just as good as I remember — maybe even better, because they come with the joy of making them from scratch.
Preparation:
Make the Dough
Place the flour into a large mixing bowl. Warm the milk until it is just lukewarm, then crumble in the fresh yeast. Using a spoon, make a small well in the center of the flour. Add the sugar into the well, then pour in the warm yeast‑milk mixture. Mix the liquid with a little of the surrounding flour to form a small pre‑dough.
Cover the bowl and let it rest for about 15 minutes until slightly bubbly.
Wash the lemon in hot water, dry it, and grate off some of the zest. Add the softened butter, egg, part of the lemon zest, vanilla extract, and salt to the bowl. Knead everything for about 5 minutes until a smooth, elastic dough forms.
Cover again and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
Make the Streusel
Place the sugar into a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and add it to the sugar. Add the flour, the remaining lemon zest, salt, and cinnamon. Rub everything between your hands until coarse, crumbly Streusel form. Set aside briefly.
Shape the Taler
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly flour your work surface, roll out the yeast dough, and cut out 8–10 circles using a round cutter. Place the dough circles onto the prepared baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 350°F (top/bottom heat) or 320°F convection.
Generously top each dough circle with Streusel. Let them rise again for about 10 minutes, then bake in the preheated oven for 15–18 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer the baked Streuseltaler to a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
Make the Glaze (optional)
Cut the lemon in half and squeeze out 2 tablespoons of juice. Mix the powdered sugar with the lemon juice and a splash of water until smooth and pourable. Brush the cooled Streuseltaler with a thin layer of glaze.
Make the Pudding filling:
Cook the Vanilla Pudding as per direction, add sugar. Let cool. Whip up 473 ml whipping cream and combine with cooled Pudding. Slice Streuseltaler in half and fill with the creme.
This recipe makes about 10 Streuseltaler. Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, they keep well for at least 2 days.
Streuseltaler, a soft yeast pastry with Streusel
Ingredients
- Dough:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon milk (lukewarm)
- 1 packet (2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
- Zest of 1 organic lemon
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- Extra flour for rolling
- Streusel:
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
- 9 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- Glaze:
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar (80 g)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- A little water as needed
Instructions
- For the dough, place the flour into a mixing bowl.
- Warm the milk until lukewarm, drop in the yeast and stir to dissolve.
- Make a well in the flour, add the sugar and the yeast‑milk mixture, and mix with a little flour to form a small pre‑dough. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Add the lemon zest, softened butter, egg, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Knead for about 5 minutes until smooth.
- Cover the dough again and let it rise for 30 minutes in a warm place.
- For the streusel, combine the sugar and butter pieces in a bowl.
- Add the flour, remaining lemon zest, salt, and cinnamon, and rub everything between your hands until coarse crumbs form.
- Set aside.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out the risen dough on a lightly floured surface and cut out 8–10 circles.
- Place them on the baking sheet.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (or 320°F convection). Generously top each dough circle with streusel and let them rise again for 10 minutes.
- Bake for 15–18 minutes until golden brown, then cool completely on a wire rack.
- For the glaze, mix the powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and a little water until smooth.
- Brush the cooled Streuseltaler with a thin layer of glaze.
Notes
Store airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days. Fill with a mixture of whipped cream and vanilla pudding.
