BBC Good Food - 04.2020

THE GLAZE

This is optional, and

can cause the buns to burn

slightly if you like to toast them

on both sides. But, we’ve glazed

these with some apricot jam as

we prefer them eaten fresh

from the oven.

APRIL 2020 bbcgoodfood.com 113

skills

SLOW FERMENTATION

Leaving the dough to chill in the

fridge overnight makes a big

dierence – it improves the lavour

of the dough, makes it much easier

to roll out and shape, and helps you

get ahead with the prep work. We

tested a version that required 2 hrs

of resting at room temperature,

and it wasn’t nearly as good.

DRIED FRUIT
We’ve added dried
cranberries to the usual fruit
mixture for little sweet-sour
bursts that liven up the
other lavours.

1 Prepare the dough the day before

baking. Whisk the eggs and milk

together in a jug and put the flour,

yeast, sugar, spices, orange zest,

fruit and a pinch of salt in the bowl

of a stand mixer fitted with a dough

hook. With the mixer running on

medium speed, slowly pour in the

egg mixture, until everything is

incorporated into a soft dough.

Add the butter and gradually

increase the speed, kneading for

8-10 mins until the dough comes

away from the sides of the bowl

and clings to the hook. Scrape the

dough o the hook, cover and chill

overnight to prove.

2 Tip the dough onto a floured

work surface. Briefly knead, then

roll into a long sausage shape.

Quarter, then divide each quarter

into three pieces so you have

12 portions. Roll each into a ball

and place on a lined baking tray,

leaving some room between each

ball for rising. Cover with a damp

tea towel and leave in a warm

place to prove for 2 hrs, or until

almost doubled in size.

3 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/

gas 6. To make the topping, mix

the flour with the sugar, cardamom

and about 3 tbsp water, adding the

water 1 tbsp at a time until you

have a thick paste. Spoon into

a piping bag fitted with a small

nozzle. Pipe a line along each row

of buns, then repeat in the other

direction to create crosses. Bake

for 20 mins until golden brown.

Meanwhile, heat the apricot jam

in a small pan or the microwave to

loosen, then brush over the warm

buns. Leave to cool before serving.

PER BUN 368 kcals • fat 16g • saturates 9g

• carbs 46g • sugars 17g • ibre 2g • protein 8g •
  salt 0.2g

HOW TO MAKE IT

BASIC BUNS

Without the cross or fruit, this is an enriched

bun recipe that can be baked at any time

of the year. If you like, you could add dierent

types of dried fruit, or leave it plain. You

could also infuse a bit of saron into the

milk for saron milk buns.

THE CROSS

Usually made from a tough paste of

and water that has little lour

lavour, we’ve made

sure our topping mixture complements the

lavour of the buns by adding cardamom

and caster sugar.