I finally ticked something off my baking bucket list: homemade Topfengolatschen! This recipe had been on my to-do list for ages, and honestly, I’m wondering why I waited so long. They’re delicate on the outside, creamy on the inside, and simply delicious. If you love pastries with a quark filling, this is a recipe you should definitely try.
Ingredients for the yeast dough
- 250 g plain flour / all-purpose flour
- 15 g fresh yeast
- 100 g milk
- 30 g powdered sugar / icing sugar
- 50 g butter, softened
- 1 egg, size L
- A pinch of salt
Ingredients for the filling
- 250 g Topfen / quark
- 60 g powdered sugar / icing sugar
- 1 egg, size L
- 1 packet vanilla pudding powder
- 1 packet vanilla sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- A pinch of salt
Method
For the yeast dough, place the flour, yeast, milk, sugar, softened butter, egg, and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl. Knead with the dough hook of a stand mixer — or with the dough hooks of a hand mixer — until a smooth, elastic dough forms and gently pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough is still a little sticky, work in a little more flour one tablespoon at a time, ideally in small 5 g increments.
Cover the dough and let it rest in a warm, draft-free place for about 30 minutes, until it has visibly risen and feels soft and airy.
While the dough is resting, prepare the quark filling. In a bowl, whisk together the quark, powdered sugar, egg, vanilla pudding powder, vanilla sugar, and lemon juice until smooth and creamy.
Place the risen dough on a lightly floured work surface, divide it into 8 equal pieces of about 60 g each, and roll each piece into a square measuring approximately 15 × 15 cm.
Place about 50 g of the quark filling in the center of each dough square. Make sure to leave enough space around the edges so the pastries can be closed easily later.
Brush the corners of the dough with a little water, fold them toward the center, and gently press them together to create the traditional Golatschen shape.
To help these delicate pastries keep their shape while baking, insert a toothpick into the center of each Golatsche. This helps the corners stay nicely together.
Place the shaped Topfengolatschen, leaving a little space between them, on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 170 °C top/bottom heat for about 20 minutes. They turn out best if you keep an eye on them toward the end: they should be lightly golden and smell wonderfully fragrant.
Remove the finished Golatschen from the oven, allow them to cool slightly, and generously dust them with powdered sugar while they are still lukewarm.
Then let them cool completely — or, if the anticipation is too great, enjoy them while they are still slightly warm.
Wishing you great success and lots of joy baking them, as always,
Gudrun from Mödling.
Gudrun from Mödling.
