Buchty buns
Buchty buns may be a little difficult to pronounce
(think ‘ch’ as in Loch Ness) , but you’ll find these tender, sweet buns to be an unusually delicious bite.
Parené buchty
To make parené buchty (steamed buns filled with jam) is a labor of love. It's truly beloved when Babka makes it…and truly agonizing labor when I attempt it on my first go. Now familiar with a few crucial details (butter–butter is crucial), I am happy to report that these delicious treats are worth the effort. Batch one may have been a disaster, but subsequent bakes saw me improvise, adapt and overcome and finally cross the buchty finish line. Most importantly, always remember Babka’s golden rule: never lift the lid!
Storing & saving
Best right after steaming, but can be stored in the refrigerator and microwaved 1-2 days after.
Yields
20 buchty buns
Baking note
Read this recipe closely! While the steps are fairly simple, there are a few details in the process that will determine success. Need a visual? Check out the video on the Watch page, or on Instagram.
Ingredients
Dough Cesto
7 g/1 packet yeast 1 ks droždie
30 grams/2 Tbsp sugar 30 g cukru
400 ml warm milk 400 ml teplé mlieko
500 g/4 c all-purpose flour 500 g polohruá múka
Pinch of salt štipka soli
Filling Plnka
1 jar of thick jam, e.g. plum 1 pohár lekvár
Topping Poleva
2-3 Tbsp melted butter roztopené maslo
Powdered sugar práškový cukor
Cocoa powder kakao
To start your dough, mix the yeast and sugar into the warm milk (~45-60 seconds in the microwave should bring the milk to about 100°F). Cover the mixture with saran wrap or a towel and leave for ten minutes.
Meanwhile, put flour and salt into a large bowl or stand mixer bowl. When it’s ready, add the dough starter mixture. Mix to combine.
Babka says: the dough is fairly moist, but don't be tempted to add more flour at this stage.
Once the dough is homogenous and holding together, put it onto a clean, lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes. At this point the dough should be smooth and shiny.
Put the dough in a greased bowl. Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for 45-50 minutes.
Babka says: test the dough by gently making an indent with your finger. If the dough bounces back (filling in the indent), the dough has proved. Be careful not to let your dough overprove (rise too much). This dough will be very delicate, sticky and collapse when handled.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle 1 cm thick. Using a knife or pizza cutter, trim off the uneven edges of the dough and slice out even squares.
To make buchty, take one square and gently tug at its corners to stretch them. Put 1 scant teaspoon of jam into the center of the square.
Babka says: be careful not to overfill the buchty! They will spill their jam and become too sticky to form into buns.
Take two opposite corners of the square and bring them together, overlapping them. Pinch the dough together. Do the same overlap with the other two corners of the square. This will have created a new square with four slightly open corners. Pull each corner into the center of the buchta and pinch them to the dough to close the bun. Next, turn the buchty over and gently roll it under your palm to seal it. You can also pad it to shape it into a more even circle.
Need a visual? Check out the video here on the Watch page.
Once you have shaped your buchty, cover and leave them to rise again for 30 minutes.
Suzanne says: depending on how quickly you have shaped your buchty, the first to be made will have already begun their second prove while you work on the rest of the batch. Just keep an eye on them: you will be able to see and feel if some buchty are proved, while others need a few more minutes.
When your buchty have finished their second prove, it is time to steam them.
Coat your steaming tray with butter or baking spray, then place your steaming tray in a large pot with water that does not touch the bottom of the steamer (you do not want soggy buchty bottoms!).
Place the buchty in the steam tray so that they do not touch, then brush the edges that will rise into each other with butter.
Babka says: they will plump up while steaming, so the butter is essential to allow you to separate each individual bun.
Put the lid on and leave them to steam for 17-20 minutes.
Suzanne says: this cook time works at an altitude of 5,500 - 6,000 feet (1,675 - 1830 meters). At lower altitudes, the cook time may be as short as 10 minutes.
Babka says: Do not lift the lid! This will cause the buchty to shrink and wrinkle. Leave the lid on for the full cook time.
Remove the buchty from the steaming tray. Grease the tray again and repeat steps for the next batch. Repeat this process until you've cooked all of your buchty.
To serve, melt ~2 Tbsp butter. Brush the buns with melted butter. Mix together equal parts cocoa powder and powdered sugar and dust the buchty with it.
Leftover buchty can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated in the microwave.
Time for buchty
For many American eaters, this sweet meal may not feel like dinner, but it’s worth a try! Buchty are a common lunch or dinnertime meal for Slovaks. Looking for something savory to accompany it? Try one of my soups as a starter.
