At a glance
You're making a batch of traditional Czech sweet buns filled with your choice of poppy seed, curd cheese, or plum jam – a two-hour project with a couple of rising periods built in. The tricky part is rolling out the dough into flat discs with a raised rim, but a small pastry rolling pin makes it easier. Once you've filled and brushed them with egg, they bake quickly until golden.
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Starter
Warm the milk gently, so it's lukewarm rather than hot. In a bowl, combine a tablespoon of flour with a tablespoon of sugar, crumble in the yeast, pour over a little of the milk and stir into a smooth paste. Leave the starter to rise until it's nicely bubbly and looks puffed up.
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Dough
Sift the flour with a pinch of salt and the sugar into a bowl. Pour in the remaining milk, the egg, the yolk and, right at the end, the butter. Mix into a smooth dough. Start by adding just 200 ml of the milk, then add a little more as needed – or, if the dough is too wet, work in a bit more flour.
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Rising and shaping the rolls
Leave the dough to rise in the bowl for about three-quarters of an hour. Then turn it out onto a floured board and divide into smaller rolls – around twelve to fourteen pieces. Leave to rise again for another half hour. (Meanwhile, you can prepare the fillings from the next steps.)
