Plain Crumb Platz

On a recent trip I was making my choices at a breakfast buffet when I saw a crumb cake that I had to try. It reminded me of a plain crumb Platz that my mom used to make with bun dough. This makes for a slightly sweet bread type of crumb coffee cake, just wonderful with a cup of coffee.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
•  6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon instant quick rise yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 cups flour

crumb topping

• 1 egg, whisked
• 6 tablespoons butter room temp (or half cream and half butter) 
• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup sugar

Method:

1. Heat milk in a saucepan. Add butter and allow to melt. Remove from heat. Add cold water to cool liquid to a warm temperature.
2. In mixing bowl, mix sugar, yeast and salt. Add liquids. Stir in 2 cups of flour, using wooden spoon, mix to a shaggy dough and let stand for 5 minutes.
3. Continue stirring in flour and knead lightly until you can shape a smooth ball with oiled or floured hands.
4. Cover bowl and let rise until double.
5. Grease a 9 x 12 inch pan.  For ease of lifting onto a serving plate, you can line the pan with parchment paper. Spread dough evenly into pan, pressing out any potential bubbles.
6. Whisk egg with a fork and brush over the base.
7. With pastry blender, blend butter (and cream, if using) into combined sugar and flour. Squeeze by the handful (to make crumbs) and drop onto cake. Cover and let rise 45 minutes.
8. Bake at 375° F for 25 - 30 minutes, until golden. Check part way through baking and pop any bubbles with a toothpick. Allow to cool before serving. ( I like to lift it out of the pan onto a wire rack, like I would if I baked a loaf of bread)

Tip: you can double the recipe and add some small buns or Zwieback.

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