64 The Times Magazinehis is my go-to bun
recipe and is a really
good place to start if you
are new to baking and
want a reliable, easy
method that produces
foolproof results every
time. You can mix up
the flavours any way you like,
either changing the dough or
the filling, but I’ve settled on
apricots here because they are
just coming into season and
for me their sweet juiciness is
like a first taste of summer.
Alternatively, you can use dried.
Adding lemon zest to the
dough perfectly balances the
sweetness of the vanilla-flavoured
apricots, and the pecans add both
crunch and nuttiness. This is
perfect for the coming months,
whether for picnics, garden
parties or even packed lunches.APRICOT PECAN BUNS
Makes 12For the buns- 450g strong bread flour, plus
extra for dusting - 50g unsalted butter, chopped
into cubes, softened - 14g fast-action yeast
- 50g caster sugar
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 lemon, zest only
- 1 medium egg, beaten
- 150ml warm milk
For the filling- 200g apricots, halved, stoned
and roughly chopped - 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 25g unsalted butter, softened
- 25g caster sugar
- 100g pecans, finely chopped,
MARK HARRISONplus 12 whole for the tops
Eating in
Nadiya Hussain
These nutty, zesty
apricot buns are
foolproof – perfect
for new bakers
For the glaze- 150g apricot jam
- Pop the strong bread flour into
a bowl along with the soft butter
cubes. Rub together using your
fingertips until all the butter has
been rubbed in. - Add the yeast and the caster
sugar to one side of the bowl
and the salt to the other. Sprinkle
in the lemon zest and mix
everything through.- Make a well in the centre,
add the egg and warm milk
and, using your hands, bring the
dough together. Tip out onto a
floured surface and knead the
dough for ten minutes, until it
is smooth, shiny and elastic.
4. Place it in a bowl, cover with
clingfilm and leave to prove in a
warm spot until doubled in size,
about 1½ to 2 hours.
5. Meanwhile, make the filling.
If using dried apricots, add them
to a bowl with boiling water for
ten minutes. Take out, drain,
and squeeze until as much of
the moisture as possible has
been removed.
6. Add them (or the chopped
fresh apricots) to a food processor
with the vanilla extract, butter
and sugar, and blitz till you have
an even mixture. Set aside.
7. Line and grease two large
baking trays. Dust the worktop
with flour, take the dough out
and roll out to a 25cm x 45cm
rectangle.
8. With the longest side closest
to you, spread all the filling right
to the edge. Sprinkle over the
chopped pecans evenly. Roll from
the long side and then cut into
12 equal swirls.
9. Pop six on each tray with lots
of room to grow. Using the palm
of your hands, squash them down
so they are flat and even. Cover
with greased clingfilm and leave
to prove until doubled in size.
10. Preheat the oven to 160C
(180C non-fan). Take the clingfilm
off the buns. Add a pecan to
the centre of each and bake for
20 minutes, or until golden and
puffed. Remove and leave on the
baking tray to cool.
11. Make the glaze by mixing
the apricot jam and 2 tbsp hot
water until you have a runny
glaze. Brush all over the hot
buns and leave to cool for
20 minutes before eating. n
Apricots are coming into season. For me, their
sweet juiciness is like a first taste of summer
T
You can find all of Nadiya
Hussain’s recipes for The Times
at thetimes.co.uk