Measure all the ingredients into a bowl, ensuring that the yeast does not come into direct contact with the salt. Then knead the dough until completely smooth.

Next, let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

While the dough is rising, lightly butter and flour a 10-inch round cake pan. In a bowl, mix the prepared ground walnuts with the granulated sugar and lemon zest.

Once the dough has risen, roll it out to about 0.8 inches thick, then cut it into roughly equal pieces using a biscuit cutter, with no scraps left over.

Place the dough pieces tightly in the greased and floured baking dish, and drizzle a thin layer of melted butter over each layer. You don't need to use all the butter, just enough to nicely coat the dough. Then generously sprinkle with the sugary walnuts. Layer until the pan is full. Once the pan is full, drizzle the top, sprinkle it, and let it rise for another 30 minutes. In the meantime, you can prepare the vanilla sauce.

Bake the risen golden dumplings in a preheated oven at 340°F for 30-35 minutes.

After cooling, serve the finished golden dumplings drizzled with vanilla sauce.