Reichelsheim Mouse Cake (Yeast Loaf with Smoked Sausage)

Description

A New Year's speciality from Reichelsheim in the Wetterau region of Hesse: a lightly sweetened yeast dough is rolled around smoked bratwurst and baked into a golden loaf. Cut open, each slice shows a round of sausage sitting in the dough - which is said to have given the cake its name, because it looks like a mouse in its hole. Served warm on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, it is supposed to make sure the money does not run out in the coming year.

1. 1

   Warm the milk until it is lukewarm - it should feel no warmer than your hand, otherwise the yeast dies. Dissolve the yeast and one teaspoon of the sugar in it and let the mixture stand for about 10 minutes until it visibly foams.

   ⏱️ approx. 10 min

   💡 Tip: Using fresh yeast instead of dry: crumble half a cube into the milk.

2. 2

   Mix the flour, the remaining sugar and the salt in a bowl. Add the egg, the soft butter and the yeast milk and knead everything for 8 to 10 minutes into a smooth, supple dough that comes away from the side of the bowl.

   ⏱️ approx. 10 min
3. 3

   Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour until it has doubled in volume. In the old days it was put into the warm proving chamber next to the oven for this.

   ⏱️ approx. 60 min
4. 4

   Halve the dough and roll out each half on a floured surface into a rectangle of about 30 x 20 cm. Do not fry the sausages beforehand - they cook inside the dough.

   ⏱️ approx. 10 min
5. 5

   Lay two smoked bratwursts lengthways side by side on each sheet of dough and roll the dough over them. Press the seam firmly, turn the loaf over and place it seam down on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

   ⏱️ approx. 5 min
6. 6

   Let the loaves rise for another 20 minutes, then brush them with the beaten egg yolk - this gives the typical deep golden, glossy crust.

   ⏱️ approx. 20 min
7. 7

   Bake in the preheated oven at 200 °C (conventional heat) for about 30 minutes, until the Mäusekuchen is deeply browned and sounds hollow when tapped on the underside.

   ⏱️ approx. 30 min
8. 8

   Let it cool briefly and cut it into finger-thick slices while still warm. Only now does the image that gave the cake its name appear: the sausage sits in the dough like a mouse in its hole.

   ⏱️ approx. 10 min

   💡 Tip: The next day it is good cold for breakfast, or sliced and fried in a pan.