Bakery Window Icon · Cinnamon Pastry
Franzbrötchen
Photo: Wikiolo / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Its squashed shape comes from pressing a wooden stick or spoon handle across the middle of each rolled slice before baking, which pushes the cinnamon layers out at both ends.
A laminated, buttery dough is rolled with cinnamon sugar, then pressed flat into a squashed spiral before baking, giving it crisp caramelized edges and a soft center. It's a breakfast and coffee-break fixture sold from bakery counters and train-station kiosks all over the city.
Why it's made this way: The name means 'little French roll', and the most popular story links it to the French garrison stationed in Hamburg from 1806 to 1814, though the pastry's exact origin is undocumented.
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