German Streuseltaler Recipe: Rhubarb & Red Currant
Sweet & tangy alike – a perfect combination for summer
A Streuseltaler is, quite literally, a streusel coin: yeast dough, a handful of butter crumble, and whatever fruit is in season sits underneath the streusel. Tanja grew up eating hers usually with red currants in summer or plain year round. Always fresh from the bakery, never once from a package.
Throughout summer months German bakeries fill their counters with round, streusel-topped fruity pastries the size of a coin – a big one. That’s not a coincidence. “Taler” is the old German word for coin, the same root that eventually gave English the word “dollar”.
You can use fruits you have handy, but those with a slight tang make the best combination with the sweet streusel and the classic powder sugar glaze. We love the red currants and rhubarb for our German Streuseltaler. For the glaze – even though we use a good amount, we do not drown the pastry in the glaze, but feel free to double the recipe or add 50% if you have a very sweet tooth.
Best when enjoyed fresh from the oven – German-style hand pies with Streusel
Instructions – German Streuseltaler recipe made with a bread mix
German Streuseltaler with Red Currants or Rhubarb
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Dough Hook [Kenwood, Kitchen Aid or similar]
- Digital Scale
- Baking Sheets
Ingredients
Dough
- 0.5 Bag EINBACK Mix
- 250 ml Milk [8.4 fl.oz]
- 45 g Butter, unsalted [3.5 TBS]
- 1 Egg
- 2 TBS Oil, neutral
Fruit Filling
- Red Currants or Rhubarb, ca. ¼ – ⅓ cup per taler [fresh or frozen]
Streusel
- 150 g All Purpose Flour [5.3 oz]
- 90 g Butter, unsalted – just out of the fridge, but not too soft [7 TBS]
- 70 g Cane Sugar [2.5 oz]
Glaze
- ¾ cup Powder Sugar [ca 95 g]
- 2 TBS Milk
Instructions
Dough
- Prepare the dough as instructed on the bag for 1/2 mix. Use only milk instead of milk+water mix. Working the dough with a kitchen machine and dough hook eases this step. Let it knead for ~12 min. Then add the oil and knead further until the oil is incorporated.
- Take the dough out and knead 1-2 times on the lightly floured counter and shape it to a ball. Put it back in the mixer (or another) bowl, cover with cling foil and let rest until at least double in size; ca. 80-100 min depending on room temperature.
Fruit Filling
- Pluck the washed currants carefully from the stalks. – If using fresh rhubarb, wash, peel off the strings and cut into 1 cm (⅓ inch) pieces, sprinkle with 1 TBS sugar and set aside.When using frozen fruits, use it frozen or thawed. Make sure the rhuburb pieces are not too big. You will need about 10 oz of prepared fruit, but this will vary on how much you put on one taler and how big they are.Rhubarb will have a slight bite when baked since the baking time is relatively short. One reason the pieces should not be too big.
Dough Shaping
- Pre-heat the oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Divide the dough into 10 pieces, ~90 g each (3.2 oz). Roll them roughly and loosely into round balls, set aside, cover with cling foil for 10 min to rest.Flatten a piece of dough with your hand and gently stretch it into a disk. With your fingers press down the middle and keep an edge. Repeat with all dough pieces and set on baking sheets.
Making Streusel
- Combine all ingredients, knead and form the streusel by hand or your mixer. (use K-beater with Kenwood)
- Sprinkle the streusel over the fruit taler and gently press them down. Let it rest for another 10 min.When the oven is ready, bake them for ca. 20 min until the streusel just get some brown edges. Rotate the sheets towards the end if necessary.
Glazing
- When the Streuseltaler are baked prepare the glaze and drizzle it over each piece. Let it fully cool on a wire rack before you enjoy this German sweet treat. – They are ready when the bottom feels cool to the touch and the drizzle turned white.Enjoy!.
