Bienenstich

Adapted from Luisa Weiss's Classic German Baking 

Yeast Base: 

90g Herman Starter 

180g all-purpose flour 

1 egg 

1/8 tsp salt 

30g sugar 

50g butter

Topping:

150g butter
100g sugar
70g honey
45g cream
1/2 tsp salt
230g sliced almonds

Blitz Herman, flour, 1 egg and salt in food processor to develop gluten. Rest for 15 minutes.

Blitz with sugar. Check that the sugar crystals can no longer be felt with your fingers.

Blitz in the butter.

Tuck into ball and let rise in the fridge.

Remove about 3-4 hours before baking. When pliable, roll out it out to approximately 23cm by 33cm, and let rise again.

When the yeast base is fully risen, make topping by lightly caramelising all ingredients except for almonds. While still hot, pour over almonds and mix.

Spread over yeast base.

Bake at 230C.

Notes: 

The base came out a little dry. I will add more milk next time. I think between the cold rise and also Herman, it requires a little more moisture.

This recipe is too small for my Magimix.

I sliced it, then allowed my guests to split the pieces at will, and I served it with pastry cream. 

Pastry Cream

Adapted from Brave Tart

Ingredients: 

950ml milk

4 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
250g sugar
75g cornflour
1/2tsp salt

Whisk everything but the milk until smooth in a large bowl.

Heat milk until it starts to foam. Turn off heat.

Temper hot milk into the egg mixture.

Pour resulting egg and milk mixture through a fine sieve back into the milk pan.

Cook, stirring constantly, until custard bubbles sluggishly.

Notes: 

Vanilla extract: should be added to milk before heating for maximal flavor.

I recommend tempering as much as 50% of the hot milk into the eggs. This will allow you to get the mixture through the sieve much more quickly.

Eggs: Sometimes I just use 5 eggs instead of 4 whole + 3 yolks. This is usually when I already have way too much excess egg white in the freezer.