Fruity-sweet yeast rolls from the Dutch Oven

Freshly baked yeast rolls with apple and cinnamon are the perfect treat for cool days. In the Dutch Oven, they become extra moist and develop a light crust – whether baked over briquettes, on the grill, or in the oven.

This recipe is ideal for a 9- or 12-inch Dutch Oven and yields a large, fluffy roll cake.

Ingredients

For the yeast dough

700 g wheat flour

350 ml milk (lukewarm)

1 cube fresh yeast

70 g butter (soft)

1 egg

1 packet vanilla pudding powder (for the dough, ensures extra moistness)

1.5 tbsp sugar

½ tsp salt

For the filling

3 medium-sized apples (e.g., Boskop)

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp sugar

Optional
Powdered sugar for dusting

Preparation

1. Prepare the yeast dough

Gently warm the milk (hand-warm).

Dissolve the yeast in it.

Add flour, vanilla pudding powder, sugar, salt, egg, butter, and the yeast milk to a large bowl.

Knead everything into a smooth yeast dough (approx. 5–8 minutes).

Cover the dough and let it rise for approx. 60 minutes in a warm place until it has significantly increased in volume.

2. Prepare the filling

Peel, core, and dice the apples into small pieces.

Mix the cinnamon and sugar together.

3. Roll out and fill the dough

Lightly flour the work surface.

Roll out the yeast dough into a rectangle, about 5 mm thick.

Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over it.

Distribute the apple pieces on top.

Then roll up the dough from the long side.

4. Form the rolls

Cut the dough roll into pieces approx. 5 cm wide.

Grease the Dutch Oven with butter or oil.

Place the rolls cut-side up inside – starting from the edge and working towards the center.

Leave some space between the rolls.

Let the dough rise again in the Dutch Oven for 20–30 minutes.

5. Baking in the Dutch Oven

While the dough is rising, let about 18–20 briquettes glow in a charcoal chimney.

For a 9-inch Dutch Oven:

7–8 briquettes under the pot
10–12 briquettes on the lid

Bake the apple-yeast rolls for approx. 40–45 minutes until golden brown.

6. Serve

Remove the Dutch Oven from the heat and let the rolls cool briefly.

If desired, dust with powdered sugar and serve slightly warm.

Tip:

Instead of apples, plums, mirabelles, or pears also work wonderfully in these yeast rolls.