Schnecken: Classic Jewish German Cinnamon Rolls

I first tried schnecken at my aunt’s house in NYC. It was long ago, but I can still picture it perfectly. These little swirled pastries were deep golden brown, topped with pecans and raisins, and smelled like heaven—cinnamon everywhere.

I remember biting into one and my eyes popping open. It was buttery and packed with flavor, tender but not fluffy like a regular pastry. It was kind of like a cross between a cookie and a pastry—soft, buttery, and a little crunchy all at once. Totally unforgettable.

Fast forward to today, I had some Babka dough leftovers and decided to give it a try. It turned out perfect, and today, I am sharing this schnecken recipe. The secrets to their unique sticky buns texture lie in the double folding process, similar to what we use for Israeli Chocolate Rugelach, and spreading the pastries out on the pans so they bake evenly on all sides. But what really makes these so addictive is the honey pecan syrup we scoop on top and bake during the last few minutes. As the syrup bakes, the honey gets caramelized, giving the Schnecken another layer of deep, complex flavor.

For more cinnamon pastries, check out these Bakery Style Cinnamon Rolls, Cinnamon Babka, and the Jewish Style Brioche Cinnamon Rolls.

Ingredients

For the Dough

• Bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour.
• Dry milk powder
• Instant yeast. For active dry yeast, see recipe notes in the recipe card.
• Salt
• Sugar
• Large eggs at room temperature
• Lukewarm milk
• Unsalted butter at room temperature cut into 1-inch pieces.
• Egg yolks for brushing the pastry. I like using only the yolk vs a whole egg, because it gives the pastries a deeper color.

Cinnamon Filling

• Soft unsalted butter
• Dark brown sugar
• Ground cinnamon
• Chopped dark raisins. Chocolate-covered raisins or chocolate chips are also a great option.

For the Topping

• Honey.
• Dark brown sugar
• Butter
• Chopped pecans.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Make the Dough

1. In a large mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, dry milk, yeast, sugar and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs to the dry ingredients and and drizzle the milk. Replace with the dough hook and mix until you have a rough slightly dry dough.
2. Add the butter one piece at a time, waiting for the butter to incorporate completely before adding the next piece.
3. Knead on medium speed until you have a smooth, elastic dough that does not stick to the sides of the bowl.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for 90-120 minutes for the first dough rise.
5. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes before assembling.

Make the Filling

1. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl.
2. Use an electric mixer to mix the filling ingredients until smooth. If you don’t have one, use melted butter, mix, and set aside to cool. 

Make the Topping

1. In a medium saucepan, cook the honey, butter, and brown sugar until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.
2. Remove from heat and mix in the pecans using a wooden spoon.

Assemble the Schnecken

1. Divide the chilled dough into two equal parts, each aprox—480 g. Place one piece back in the refrigerator while you shape the first piece.
2. Roll the dough into a 12×16-inch large rectangle over a lightly floured work surface.
3. Spread half of the filling over the top half of the dough, and sprinkle the chopped raisins.
4. Fold the bottom part of the dough over the top part.
5. Roll the dough again into a 12×16-inch rectangle.
6. Cut the dough into 12 1-inch stripes using a pizza wheel or a sharp, skinny knife.
7. Roll each stripe into a snail-shaped roll. Do not roll the dough too tight.
8. Arrange the rolled pastries on a large baking pan lined with parchment paper in a pattern of 3 per raw and two between the gaps.
9. Repeat with the second piece of dough.
10. Brush the pastries with the egg wash using a pastry brush. Set aside for 90 minutes for the second rise.

Bake the Schnecken

1. Bake the pastries for 15 minutes.
2. Remove them from the oven and top each pastry with 1/2 tablespoon of the topping.
3. Bake for another 5 minutes until the pastries are dark golden brown.

Tips for Perfect Schnecken

• Don’t skip chilling the dough. If not, it will bounce back and be hard to work with.
• When rolling the dough, flour your rolling pin and the work surface. 
• Lightly flour your work surface. Roll the pin as needed to prevent the dough from sticking, moving it as you go. 
• Allow the pastries to cool in the sheet pan, no need to transfer to a cooling rack.

Yields

This recipe makes 24 decadent Schneckens, perfect for sharing (or indulging solo).

Storing

• At room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
• Freezing: Place the baked pastries in a freeze bag and freeze for up to 4 weeks. Thaw and reheat in the oven for that fresh-baked flavor.