Dieser Beitrag ist auch verfügbar auf:
Deutsch
The “Zhavoronki” taste incredibly airy, light and soft. Their appearance makes them an eye-catcher on the coffee table. The vegan lark buns are ideal for Easter. You can make them at home with just a few ingredients. You can find a detailed recipe with the exact quantities and step-by-step instructions below.
What are “Zhavoronki”?
“Zhavoronki” are Russian yeast dough buns in the shape of a bird. The word “zhavoronki” (singular “zhavoronok”) translates as “larks” (“lark”).
The buns are made every year on the Day of the Forty Martyrs on March 22 – a festival of the Orthodox Church. On this day, the faithful commemorate the suffering of the 40 Christian soldiers of Sebastia. As this holiday falls on Lent in Russia, the dough for the “zhavoronki” contains only plant-based ingredients.
The bird-shaped buns are also a way of welcoming spring. This is because the lark symbolizes the beginning of new life and spring.
Shaping buns
The pictures show you how to shape each ball of dough into a bird step by step.
First, flatten the ball of dough.
Roll up the resulting circle tightly.
Then roll out the roll into a long strand that is slightly thicker at the ends.
Tie a weak knot from the strand.
Flatten the lower end of the strand in the knot a little and cut it several times with a knife or kitchen scissors to form a bird’s tail.
Shape the upper end of the strand in the knot into a bird’s head with a beak.
Make bird’s eyes from the raisins. Press them firmly into the sides of the head, even if the head becomes deformed in the process. As the dough rises, it will return to its normal shape.
If your bird leans too much on one side, you can cut a small piece of dough from the tail and place it under this side. Your lark is now sitting up straight.
Spring and Easter pastry
The buns “Zhavoronki” are delicious all year round. But they are especially ideal for Easter, alongside the kulich with cream and the fried egg cake.
They are tasty on their own with a cup of coffee, tea or a glass of (plant-based) milk. You can also enjoy them with a fruity jam, for example homemade orange marmalade or lemon marmalade, with butter, cream cheese and processed cheese spread.
These lark buns are
- airy,
- light,
- soft,
- with a thin crispy crust,
- a little sweet,
- heavenly delicious,
- aromatic,
- vegan,
- from yeast dough,
- to make with ordinary ingredients,
- in the shape of a bird,
- unusual eye-catcher on the coffee table,
- ideal for spring and Easter, just like the vegan sweet yeast bread and the vegan egg liqueur,
- old classic of Russian cuisine.
How to make “Zhavoronki”: tips and tricks
- The amount of flour specified may vary. You need a firm yeast dough so that the buns keep their shape. However, it must not become dry so that the buns taste fluffy. Therefore, add as much flour to the liquid mixture in portions until your dough has the right consistency.
- Take a look at my step-by-step pictures for shaping the bird buns at the top of the article.
- Don’t make the buns too big, they will keep their shape better.
- Instead of raisins, you can also use cloves for the bird’s eyes.
- The baking time of the lark buns depends on their size. Test them with a skewer to check whether they are done.
Did you make the buns “Zhavoronki” using this recipe? I look forward to your result, your star rating and your comment below on how they turned out and tasted.
Try out these other Easter recipes from Russian cuisine:
- Paskha – classic recipe for Russian Easter Dessert
- Kulich with sour cream – moist recipe
- Tsar paskha – especially creamy with fruit flavor
Buns "Zhavoronki"
Ingredients
- 250 ml water lukewarm
- 70 g sugar
- 15 g fresh yeast
- 60 ml vegetable oil
- 1 pinch of ground vanilla bean
- 1/2 tsp salt
- approx. 550 g flour
- raisins
Instructions
- Dissolve sugar and fresh yeast in lukewarm water.
- Add vegetable oil, vanilla and salt and mix.
- Add flour in portions, knead into a firm dough and then knead for approx. 10 minutes.
- Cover the yeast dough and leave it to rise in a warm place for 2 hours, kneading it briefly after 1 hour.
- Divide the dough into approx. 14 equal pieces (in my case approx. 65 g each), shape each piece of dough into a ball and leave the balls to rest covered on the work surface for 10 minutes.
- Halve or quarter several raisins.
- First take a dough ball and flatten it into a circle. Roll up the circle tightly and roll out the roll into a long strand that is slightly thicker at the ends and as round as possible. Tie a weak knot from the strand. Flatten the lower strand end in the knot slightly and cut it several times with a knife or kitchen scissors to form a bird's tail. Shape the upper strand end in the knot into a bird's head with a beak. Press the raisin pieces firmly into the bird's head as eyes. Place the bird bun on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Shape the remaining dough balls into bird buns in the same way and place them on the baking tray, spacing them slightly apart.
- Take a look at my step-by-step pictures for shaping the bird buns at the top of this post.
- Cover the lark buns with a slightly damp kitchen towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.
- Bake the buns "Zhavoronki" in a preheated oven at 392 °F (200 °C) for approx. 15 minutes until golden brown.
Notes
- The amount of flour specified may vary. You need a firm yeast dough so that the buns keep their shape. However, it must not become dry so that the buns taste fluffy. Therefore, add as much flour to the liquid mixture in portions until your dough has the right consistency.
- Don't make the buns too big, they will keep their shape better.
- Instead of raisins, you can also use cloves for the bird's eyes.
- The baking time of the lark buns depends on their size. Test them with a skewer to check whether they are done.
- Note the detailed tips and tricks for making the buns "Zhavoronki" at the top of the article.
If you are using Pinterest, you can pin the following picture:
