Fluffy yeast dough meets juicy, fresh cherries: This yeast wreath is a wonderful recipe for cherry season and is baked directly in a cast-iron skillet.
Baking it in the heavy skillet gives the yeast wreath a beautiful shape and turns it wonderfully golden brown all over. Inside, it stays amazingly soft and juicy – perfect for Sunday brunch or coffee time.
Ingredients
For the yeast dough:
- 500 g all-purpose flour (Type 550)
- 1 packet dry yeast (7 g) or 21 g fresh yeast
- 250 ml lukewarm milk
- 70 g sugar
- 80 g soft butter
- 1 egg
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 packet vanilla sugar
- a little butter for the cast-iron skillet
For the cherry filling:
- 350 g fresh cherries
- 30 g brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- optional: a little cinnamon or vanilla
For brushing:
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp milk
- optional: a little powdered sugar for serving
Instructions
1. Prepare the yeast dough
Whisk the yeast together with the lukewarm milk and one teaspoon of the sugar. Let sit for about 5–10 minutes.
Combine the flour, remaining sugar, salt, egg, vanilla, butter, and yeast milk in a large bowl and knead for about 8–10 minutes until you have a smooth dough.
2. Let the dough rise
Shape the yeast dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 60–90 minutes until it has approximately doubled in volume.
3. Prepare the cherry filling
Meanwhile, wash, pit, and halve the fresh cherries. Mix with the sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice.
The cornstarch is important here: it binds some of the escaping cherry juice and prevents the yeast dough from becoming too damp.
4. Shape the yeast wreath
Roll out the risen dough on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle.
Distribute the cherries on top, leaving a small border all around. Carefully roll up the dough from the long side.
Cut the roll in half lengthwise so that the individual dough layers and cherries are visible. Carefully twist the two strands around each other and then form into a wreath.
5. Place in the cast-iron skillet
Grease the cast-iron skillet with a little butter and carefully place the yeast wreath inside.
Put the lid on and let the wreath rise again for another 30–45 minutes. It should visibly gain volume.
6. Brush
Whisk together the egg yolk and milk and carefully brush the risen yeast wreath with the mixture.
7. Bake until golden brown
Preheat the oven to 180 °C (356 °F) top/bottom heat.
Bake the yeast wreath in the cast-iron skillet without the lid for about 30–35 minutes, until it has risen beautifully and is golden brown.
If the surface gets too dark towards the end, cover the wreath loosely with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
8. Serve
Let the finished yeast wreath rest in the skillet for about 15 minutes. Then dust with powdered sugar if desired and enjoy while still slightly warm.
Mahlzeit Tip
Fresh cherries contain a lot of liquid. Therefore, pat them dry well after washing and only mix with sugar and starch immediately before shaping. This keeps the yeast dough nice and fluffy and prevents it from getting mushy around the cherry filling.
Outside of cherry season, the yeast wreath also works wonderfully with well-drained sour cherries from a jar.
Bon appétit from the Mahlzeit team! 🍒
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