Grittibänz - Swiss Sweet Buns

Fun and delicious Grittibänz, traditional sweet buns which are eaten at Christmas in Switzerland. A great recipe to make with the kids.

Gingerbread Men are not exactly common in Switzerland, but these Grittibänz have the same effect on children – they are cute to look at and fun to eat! A Grittibänz is made from a sweetened enriched dough and shaped into a figure, making them essentially a bread version of a Gingerbread Man. Quite often, the sweetened dough is plain, but sometimes they contain raisins or sultanas, or even chocolate chips (delicious!). They are usually decorated with pearl sugar, which I think adds a nice pop of sweetness, but my favourite Grittibänz come armed with a chocolate bar (added once the cooked Grittibänz have cooled).

And because this Grittibänz recipes makes more than you and the family can eat in one day (they are best eaten fresh and the next day), they are great to give as gifts to friends and neighbours.

It is a very easy to dough to make, and the dough is pretty forgiving, which means it is perfect for the kids to prod and poke, and the end result will still look and taste great.

Ingredients:

For the dough

• 600 g (4 cups) strong white bread flour
• 110 g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 14 g (4 teaspoons) instant dried yeast (see Kitchen Notes below)
• 375 ml (1 1/2 cups) milk, warmed to 37°C (98°F)
• 60 g (4 tablespoons) butter, softened
• 40 g (1/4 cup) sultanas or raisins (or more, to taste)

For the face

• small handful dried currants, dried blueberries or raisins
• 1–2 dried apricots

For the egg wash

• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon milk

To decorate

• pearl sugar