Spelt Stutenkerle (sweet bread men) with raisins

Spelt Stutenkerle made from a yeast dough with milk, butter and honey, with raisins for eyes and buttons. A family-friendly breakfast for St Nicholas and St Martin's Day, 337 kcal per bread man.

At a glance

• Serves 8
• Prep time: 100 min
• Cooking time: 20 min
• Total time: 120 min
• Calories: 337 kcal per serving
• Protein: 10 g
• Fat: 9 g
• Carbs: 55 g

Ingredients

• 500g spelt flour
• 250ml milk
• 50g honey
• 60g butter
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 40g raisins
• 20g fresh yeast
• 1 pinch of salt

Method

You’ll need: oven · baking tray

1. Warm the milk until lukewarm and dissolve the yeast and honey in it.
2. Knead the spelt flour, salt, egg, yeast milk and soft butter for 5 minutes into a smooth dough and leave it to rise, covered, for 60 minutes.
3. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll each one into an elongated oval. Pinch in a head at the top and snip in arms and legs with scissors.
4. Press raisins into the dough as eyes and buttons, place the Stutenkerle on a baking tray lined with baking paper and leave them to rise for 15 minutes.
5. Brush them with beaten egg yolk and bake them in a preheated oven at 180 °C (160 °C fan) for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown.
6. Leave them to cool on a wire rack and serve them for breakfast.

Good to know

A Stutenkerl on the plate on St Nicholas morning – for many children, that's the best start to Advent. Shaping them is most fun with little hands.

Swaps

Raisins → chopped dates. Milk → oat milk. Butter → coconut oil. Spelt flour → plain flour.

Cooking tips

Leave enough space between the figures, as they rise further in the oven. A clay pipe is traditional, but a piece of cinnamon stick works too.

Storage

Best on the day they're baked; keeps for 2 months in the freezer.

Allergens

Contains gluten (spelt), milk and egg; suitable for children.

Frequently asked questions

Can you freeze spelt Stutenkerle?

Best on the day they're baked; keeps for 2 months in the freezer.