Now, I cover the pan with the towel again and let the pigs rise for a second, shorter rise of about 30 minutes. They won’t double, but they should look visibly puffed. Meanwhile, I preheat my oven to 375°F (190°C). Once they’ve risen, I bake them for 18-22 minutes, until they are a beautiful, deep golden brown. The smell is absolutely incredible at this point. The moment I pull them from the oven, I use my pastry brush to generously brush the tops with the remaining 3 tablespoons of melted butter, then I immediately roll each warm pig in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat it completely. This creates that irresistible, sparkly, crackly sweet shell.
Pro Tips for Best Results
For the absolute best flavor, let your dough rise slowly in the refrigerator overnight. After the first rise in the bowl, I’ll punch it down, cover it tightly, and let it rest in the fridge. The next morning, I let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes to take the chill off before rolling and wrapping. This slow, cold fermentation develops a more complex, slightly tangy flavor that makes these taste truly bakery-quality.
I’ve tested the wrapping method three different ways: a simple spiral, a criss-cross pattern, and a full “blanket” wrap. The simple spiral is the winner. It’s the easiest, it bakes the most evenly, and it gives you the perfect ratio of dough to sausage in every bite. Just make sure you pinch the ends very securely. An unsealed end will unravel in the oven, leaving you with an exposed sausage tail.
For a perfectly golden, non-soggy bottom, use parchment paper and ensure your sausage links are thoroughly dried. Any moisture from the sausage will steam the dough from the inside out during baking, leading to a gummy patch. I pat mine dry, then let them air-dry on a paper towel for a few minutes while I roll out the dough. This extra 60 seconds makes a world of difference in texture.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
My biggest first-time mistake was using active dry yeast instead of instant yeast and not dissolving it properly. I ended up with dense, sad little rocks. Don’t do what I did! If you only have active dry yeast, you must dissolve it in the warm milk with a pinch of sugar first and let it get foamy (about 5-10 minutes) before adding the other wet ingredients. For simplicity and reliability, I now only use instant yeast for this recipe.(See the next page below to continue…)