Saxon Hencleș

Hencleș, also written Hanklich, is a yeast pastry associated with Saxon communities in Transylvania. This version follows the recipe attributed to Ioan Bebeșelea of Slow Food Sibiu and Syndicat Gourmet, documented for Saxon villages in the Hârtibaciu Valley. The dough is kneaded with warm milk, egg yolk, lemon zest, sugar and clarified butter, then left to rise. It is rolled, buttered and folded to make thin layers. A topping of beaten eggs and very hot clarified butter is spread over the dough and allowed to set before baking. The source permits raisins, dried plums or other dried fruit, so the fruit remains optional.

The source describes Hencleș as a preparation of Saxon villages in the Hârtibaciu Valley and notes that it was traditionally made in the cold season, from Christmas to Pentecost. It explains that the egg-and-butter topping needs time to set. An ethnographic study of Saxon foodways in Cisnădioara, near Sibiu, documents Hanklich within Saxon community life and notes that the pastry also circulated among Romanian neighbors in southern Transylvania. Those records support a regional, shared history; they do not establish a single inventor or exclusive national origin. This recipe keeps the named Hencleș identity and the specific Sibiu-area method.

The dough uses white wheat flour, fresh yeast and warm milk. The source describes the milk as about 30 °C and warm but neutral to the hand. It directs kneading until the dough is homogeneous and proofing in a warm place until doubled. Because the source does not specify a proofing duration, the dough’s volume is the practical cue; the clock is only a planning estimate. The flour amount is 1 kg, with extra flour for the table. Keep that extra flour on the surface rather than kneading an unmeasured amount into the dough, which could make the pastry dry or heavy.

Clarified butter appears at three points in this formula: 50 g in the dough, 100 g for brushing during the folding stage and 350 g for the egg topping. The source prints the first two amounts together as “50 + 100 g” and repeats the 100 g amount in the folding instructions. This record treats that repeated 100 g as the same folding allotment, divided between the two butter-and-fold passes, rather than adding it twice. Roll the dough into a rectangle, brush it with butter, fold it in thirds, brush the folded surface and repeat. A 10–20 minute rest follows the folding.

After the rest, divide the dough in half and roll each piece on its own sheet of baking paper to approximately 20 × 20 cm and 0.5 cm thick. The source describes this small-batch shape and also mentions a much larger traditional table-sized preparation. Keep the sheets on their paper while spreading the delicate egg topping. Once it thickens and sets, transfer each pastry with its paper to the tray, as the source directs.

The topping is made with seven beaten eggs and 350 g clarified butter. Heat the butter until very hot, above 70 °C, and pour it gradually over the eggs while whisking continuously. The source says the butter should begin to cook the eggs as it is added; the topping is then spread over the dough and left until it thickens and sets. The pastry is baked afterward, so the egg topping continues to cook in the oven. The source gives a high maximum oven setting of 280 °C and a short 10–15 minute bake, stopping when the top is browned.

Raisins, dried plums or other dried fruit may be scattered over the topping according to preference. No amount is specified, so this recipe does not assign a fixed quantity. Add fruit after spreading the egg mixture, wait for the topping to set, then transfer each sheet on its paper to the tray and prick it. The source’s final instruction to prick the pastry is incomplete about which tool to use; the practical step is retained without inventing a special implement. Powdered sugar is an optional finish after baking, not a required part of the formula.

The selected source gives two sheets about 20 cm square but no serving count. The estimate here is eight portions if each sheet is cut into four pieces; the actual number depends on how the pastries are portioned. Preparation and total times are also estimates because proofing and setting are defined by visual cues rather than fixed durations. Let the pastry cool enough for the topping to hold before cutting. For leftovers, cool promptly, cover and refrigerate; reheat until steaming hot throughout. The recipe is rich and delicate, so warm it gently and avoid compressing the pieces.