History
The Franzbroetchen originated in Hamburg in the early 19th century, when French Napoleonic troops occupied the city between 1806 and 1814 and brought the French Croissant. Hamburg bakers adapted the laminated dough into a flat, pressed form with cinnamon and sugar, calling it the French roll (Franzbroetchen). The dish stayed Hamburg-exclusive for nearly 200 years; Nur Hier, Dat Backhus and Junge are the canonical chains today, with smaller bakeries like Effenberger running handmade versions.
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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Egg
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 500g strong white flour
- 60g sugar
- 10g instant yeast
- 7g salt
- 240ml cold milk
- 1 large egg
- 60g butter, softened
- 200g cold butter for lamination
- 100g sugar mixed with 2 tablespoons cinnamon
Method
- Mix flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add milk, egg and softened butter; knead 10 minutes to a smooth dough. Chill 60 minutes.
- Roll the dough to a 40x60cm rectangle.
- Pound the cold butter into a flat 20x30cm slab; lay on half the dough, fold over the other half, press the edges to seal.
- Make three book-folds with 30-minute rests in the fridge between each fold.
- Roll the laminated dough to a 30x50cm sheet. Brush with water; sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar evenly.
- Roll into a long log. Cut into 12 angled pieces, alternating direction.
- Press each piece with the handle of a wooden spoon down the middle to spread the layers.
- Prove 45 minutes. Bake at 220C for 18 to 22 minutes until golden and caramelised.
Tip from the editors. Press hard down the middle before baking; the layers must splay outwards to get the Franzbroetchen shape.
Where to eat franzbroetchen
Franzbroetchen in Hamburg
Nur Hier Osterstrasse ★ 4.5
Nur Hier's Osterstrasse branch in Hamburg-Eimsbuettel has baked breads and Franzbroetchen in a wood-fired oven for over 80 years across this hub.
Worth the queueFranzbroetchen, classic and pumpkin-seed
TipSells out of Franzbroetchen by mid-afternoon Saturday; weekday afternoons are quieter.
Nur Hier Rentzelstrasse ★ 4.4
Nur Hier's Rentzelstrasse branch in Hamburg-Rotherbaum serves the same wood-oven breads and Franzbroetchen to the University quarter from a small corner.
Worth the queueFranzbroetchen
TipClosed Sundays; the morning rush peaks around 08:30. Bench seating outside in good weather.
Dat Backhus Neuer Steinweg ★ 4.2
Dat Backhus on Neuer Steinweg in Hamburg's Neustadt is one of the Hamburg chain's central branches, with cinnamon, chocolate and pumpkin-seed Franzbroetchen.
Worth the queueFranzbroetchen with chocolate and cinnamon
TipFranzbroetchen priced 1.10 to 1.50€. The chocolate-iced version sells out first.
Junge Die Baeckerei ★ 4.0
Junge Die Baeckerei is the Schleswig-Holstein chain's central Hamburg branch on Spitalerstrasse near the Hauptbahnhof, serving Franzbroetchen.
Worth the queueFranzbroetchen
TipOpen by 05:30 weekdays; commuter-belt branch with takeaway-heavy traffic until 09:00.
Effenberger Vollkornbaeckerei ★ 4.4
Effenberger Vollkornbaeckerei has milled its own grain and held a stoneground-only line since 1986, with six Hamburg branches and the Rindermarkthalle stall.
Why locals goHamburg's longest-running organic wholegrain bakery; the Rindermarkthalle and Isemarkt stalls trade more like market vendors than tourist-facing storefronts.
TipClosed Sundays. The wholegrain Roggenvollkornbrot sells fast on Saturday mornings.
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