In East Frisia, baking the "Stutenkerl" for St. Nicholas Day is a long and deeply cherished tradition. With its raisin mouth and white clay pipe, this sweet yeast-bread man has brought a very special coziness to winter living rooms for generations. Yet, a tradition only truly stays alive when we fill it with love and life – and pass it on to the next generation.That was precisely the wish closest to my heart when I stood in the kitchen with my granddaughter to bake this traditional yeast man together. As we kneaded the dough, it wasn’t just the aroma of fresh baking that filled the house; the stories of my own childhood came to life as well. In that very moment, we built a bridge between generations. The sparkle in her eyes showed me that the magic of days gone by lives on in the here and now.This recipe is far more than just baking instructions. It is an invitation to pause, to create shared memories, and to bring a piece of living East Frisian tradition into your own kitchen.
Ingredients:
750 g flour
50g yeast
¼ l milk
1 pinch of salt
80g butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of sugar
Some raisins to decorate
Mix the yeast with a little lukewarm milk and sugar. Put the flour in a bowl. Make a deepening and pour in the mixed yeast. Cover with flour and let rest in a warm place for about 30 minutes. Heat the remaining milk, butter and salt and add to the flour and yeast mixture. Stir everything together. Finally add the eggs and work them into a smooth dough until the dough separates from the bottom of the bowl.Let the dough rise for another 30 minutes. Then roll out about 1-1.5 cm thick and cut out the "Sünnerklaas"using the template. If you like, you can also shape a guy yourself.
With the raisins the eyes, mouth and buttons are pressed into the dough.
Bake at 200 degrees for about 15 minutes.
