Rundstykker is a Danish breakfast buns and literally means “round pieces”. They are immensely popular, and dare I say, sold in every single bakery in Denmark. When I was younger and lived at home, my Dad would always get up early on the weekends, jump on his bicycle and ride to the baker to pick up some fresh Rundstykker. We would eat them with jam, cheese, honey or Nutella and they were wonderful.
Living away from Denmark I only got to eat Rundstykker when I was home visiting. But why not make them myself? It turns out that they are fairly easy to make and the aroma of fresh baked bread on a weekend morning is simply just amazing. I will eat them warm right out of the oven or cooled off, either way, they are delicious and brings back memories of distant weekend mornings at home.
Rundstykker – 12 servings
Ingredients:
25 grams butter (3/4 ounces)
3 deciliter milk (11 ounces)
4 teaspoons active dry yeast (or 50 grams cake/fresh yeast)
400 grams flour (14 ounces)
1 teaspoon salt
poppy seeds
1 beaten egg for brushing
Directions:
Add butter to a small saucepan and melt over low heat, add milk and heat until between 100-110 degrees F (37 – 43 degrees C). Sprinkle the active dry yeast over the warm milk and let sit for 10 minutes.
Mix together flour and salt in a bowl. Pour milk/yeast mixture into the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment. Starting on low, add the flour in increments. (If dough is still sticky after all the flour has been added, you can add a little extra flour until dough is no longer sticky). When all flour has been added, mix on medium speed for 10 minutes. (The mixing and kneading process can certainly be done by hand, make sure to knead the dough for 10 minutes as well, if you choose to do it by hand). Place dough in a bowl and cover with clean, dry tea towel. Place in a warm, draft free spot and allow to rise until double in size, 30-45 minutes.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Pour dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Then divide each of these portions into 4 equal parts for a grand total of 12 small pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a small dough ball, place 6 dough balls on each baking sheet. Cover each baking sheet with a clean, dry tea towel and allow to rise in a warm location for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 440 degrees F (230 degrees C). After the dough balls have finished rising, brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds. For additional decoration, using a sharp knife, cut a slit in the top of each dough ball. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely or serve warm with your favorite topping. Enjoy!
This post has been submitted to YeastSpotting.
Source: adapted from Kvalimad.dk
Do they freeze well? I plan on making some on Thanksgiving because it is my Mom’s 96 birthday and she keeps asking for Rundstykker – we’re also having rigtige Dansk flaeskesteg from Skandinavian Butik in Norwalk CT, med rodkaal og brunede kartofler – guf guf. But I would like to put the rest in the deep freeze for Christmas morning. FYI to the followers, the tebirkes recipe is really good too.
Hi Maren, I have successfully frozen other doughs but not this particular one. If you try it allow frozen buns to defrost in refrigerator for 24 hours and then give ample time to come to room temperature and rise before baking. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
I want to make them for my visiting Danish niece. Do I use all purpose flour or bread flour? Thanks
I used all-purpose flour. Hope she likes them.
Love your blog. I am from Danmark but live in Canada. I am always on the hunt for true Danish recipes. These fit the bill perfectly. I have baked these twice. Once with salted butter and once with unsalted. My husband I both preferred the unsalted butter version…..Helle
I am so glad that you are enjoying the Rundstykker Helle.
I absolutely have to bake these this weekend. My mother is Danish (from Aarhus) and these rolls were all part and parcel of my regular childhood visits to Denmark to see my Mormor and Morfar. I also miss remoulade and salmiake licourice and like you I absolutely love marcipan. I have just started a blog at fabfood4all.co.uk, but I’m loving yours, keep up the good work.
These buns are just perfect looking
I specialized in baking challah (Jewish bread) and I just love these buns.
Thank you for your visit at my blog, By returning the visit I found your very interesting blog.
I’m your new follower now 🙂
Just made these this morning for my Danish husband! So good! Thanks for the recipe!
Anita, I am so glad you liked them 🙂
Hej Gitte. Jeg hedder Viviane og jeg bor i dit hjemmeland Danmark. Jeg bor i Viborg. Du har en flot site (blog) og du laver lækre opskrifter. Tillykke!!!
Viviane Delani Blog: Aprendendo muito a cada dia!!! (http://vrgdl.blogspot.com/)
Hej Viviane. Viborg er jo en dejlig by, der gik vi normalt på shopping da jeg boede derhjemme. Tak og i lige måde, din blog er også rigtig flot! 🙂
This looks so great! Thank you for sharing!
Perfect looking buns!
They look soooooooooooooooo delicious that I wish I could grab one right now
Thank you for the lovely recipe. When I first returned to Japan from Copenhagen, I was so desperate for sifts rod, friends mailed me the flour, as it is a light rye flour specific to the region. Your memory of your father on his bicycle brought back the similar memory of Sunday’s on my bicycle .
Isn’t it funny how baked goods bring back memories, it takes me right back in time 🙂
I remember them so well, thanks so much for sharing the recipe. When I lived in Denmark, my uncle would order some on weekends and the baker would deliver them fresh, sometimes still warm. Now I have to go and eat something. I miss sigtebrod as well, sigh.
There is a another oldie but goodie, Sigtebrød
What a beautiful batch of rolls you baked up! I love that golden brown egg washed top; it make me want to grab one through the screen and eat it right here and now. Thanks for the delicious recipe inspiration!
I find that the bread we’ve eaten back at home is always one of our strongest memories. Sure, many times, there’ve been recipes I hadn’t considered making and then, one day, I would realize, “Oh, actually, why don’t I make this myself?”, but bread is very special. It’s the kind of food you’ll eat right away, even if it’s too hot and you know you’ll burn your tongue 🙂
I will absolutely try this recipe by the way, as those little buns you’ve made look sooo incredibly amazing and tasty.
What a great breakfast to start the day. The bun looks so perfect and yummy 🙂
These rolls have all the qualities I look for-fluffy on the inside and toasty on the outside-yum! Your family was lucky to have a bakery so close back then. However, now you can skip the trip and make these gems at home-saving this recipe!
they sound great with nutella! I’m a big fan of making my own bread, so I’m lucky to stumble with this recipe these danish buns look amazing
They would be perfect with Nutella, making me hungry 🙂
I love this kind of rolls and never bake them because I’m afraid of eating them all in one go…
Thank you Thank You Thank you,,, Oh The memories,,,,,,,
I know, right! 🙂
It was not my Dad that used to get them from the Baker but me on the way home from Swimming,,,,, along with a few Horn & Tebirkies…. How I have to bake,,, Again