Quark oil dough bunnies made in the Thermomix® need neither yeast nor proving time. We knead the dough for 2 minutes 30 seconds on kneading mode, shape the bunnies and bake them for 20 minutes at 180°C. From pressing the button to finished bunnies takes under 40 minutes.
Quark oil dough is one of those doughs that needs no resting time for a leavening agent. The baking powder only activates in the heat of the oven. We can therefore shape and bake the dough straight after kneading. With a yeast dough we would need to allow at least 30 minutes of proving time. Not here.
Savoury Quark Oil Dough Bunnies, Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 8 ✓
- 300 g plain flour (type 405)
- 1 sachet baking powder
- 150 g low-fat quark
- 1 egg
- 80 g rapeseed oil
- 40 g milk a little extra for brushing
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp dried Italian herbs
Instructions 0 / 4
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1
Knead the quark oil dough.
Add all ingredients to the mixing bowl and knead for 2 minutes 30 seconds / kneading mode. If the dough is too dry, add a little more milk; if it is too soft, add a little more flour.
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2
Preheat the oven.
Preheat the oven to 180°C top and bottom heat and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
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3
Shape the dough.
Divide the dough into 10 portions. Set a small piece aside to shape the tails. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a rope about 1 cm thick and shape into bunnies.
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4
Bake the dough.
Place the bunnies on the baking tray, brush with a little milk and bake for approximately 15 to 20 minutes until light golden brown.
Tip: You can leave out the Italian herbs or replace them with another seasoning of your choice.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Why the dough stays soft
The low-fat quark keeps the dough supple. 150 g of quark to 300 g of flour is enough for the dough to be shapeable without cracking. Too little quark and the bunnies break apart when shaping. Too much and the dough sticks to your hands. The rapeseed oil ensures the surface does not dry out after baking. 80 g is the right amount for 10 bunnies.
If the dough seems too dry after kneading, we add a little milk. Too soft, we add more flour. The dough should pull away easily from the bowl wall but not be runny. We check this directly after kneading, before taking it out of the mixing bowl.
Kneading mode, not reverse direction
Quark oil dough needs kneading mode. Reverse direction would only stir the ingredients together, not knead them. Kneading mode works with slow, powerful movements and brings the flour, quark and oil together into a smooth, elastic dough. 2 minutes 30 seconds is enough. Kneading for longer does not improve the dough, it only makes it tougher.
Kneading mode works identically on the TM31, TM5 and TM6. There are no model differences for this setting. We add all the ingredients to the mixing bowl at once and start kneading mode.
Shaping bunnies without a cutter
We divide the dough into 10 equal portions. We keep a small amount aside for the tails. On a lightly floured surface, we roll each portion into a rope about 1 cm thick. We bend the rope into a U shape and twist the ends upwards so they look like ears. We press the tail onto the base as a small ball.
The shape does not have to be perfect. The bunnies can look as though a child shaped them. Too neat looks sterile. We place the finished bunnies with a little space between them on a tray lined with baking parchment. The dough rises slightly in the oven.
Milk glaze before baking
Before the bunnies go into the oven, we brush them with a little milk. This gives a light golden colour. Without milk they stay pale. We use a pastry brush and apply a thin layer over the surface. Too much milk does not make the bunnies shinier, just wet.
The baking time is 15 to 20 minutes. We bake at 180°C top and bottom heat. After 15 minutes we check the colour. The bunnies should be light golden brown, not dark. Baked too long and they turn dry.
Leave out or swap the herbs
The 2 tsp of Italian herbs give the bunnies a Mediterranean flavour. If you prefer not to use them, simply leave them out. The dough works fine without. Alternatively, we use caraway seeds, sesame seeds or poppy seeds. The quantity stays the same. Garlic granules or onion powder also work well.
The savoury bunnies go well with dips. We serve them with egg salad, avocado spread or carrot spread. A date dip also works if you enjoy combining savoury and sweet notes.
Storing and reheating
The bunnies keep in an airtight tin at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. After that they dry out. We warm them in the oven at 150°C for 5 minutes and they taste fresh again. In the fridge they dry out faster. Freezing works, though the texture becomes slightly firmer. After thawing, warm them briefly in the oven.
Goes well with: butter, cream cheese and radishes.
More Easter recipes: yeast Easter bunnies and sweet quark oil bunnies.
