Buns

MIXING AND KNEADING

• In a small bowl soak the raisins in boiling water for 20 minutes
• Meanwhile in a large mixing bowl add the flour.
• Using your fingertips rub in the butter.
  
• Add the sugar, salt and mix.
• Warm the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds or until its tepid.
• Add the yeast, milk and egg to the flour mixture.
  
• Mix until it comes together in one piece. You can also mix it in an electric mixer with dough hook. Start at slow speed and build up to 3 or 4.
• Knead for about 10 minutes to develop the gluten.
• The dough should be really smooth and stretchy. You can do the window pane test to see if its ready. (See our tips and tricks section on out website to see this demonstrated)
• Remove the dough from the bowl and flatten it down. Time to add the spices, dried fruit and mixed peel. Drain the soaked fruit first. Then add fruit & spices in batches of 3. Add the first batch and fold the dough over. Continue to add them and then stretch and fold the dough over itself until all the additions are mixed through.

BULK FERMENTATION

• Shape the dough into a ball, leave the dough in the bowl.
• Cover and leave it to ferment for 1 hr. How quickly it ferments will depend on your room temperature, the temperature of the dough and the type of yeast you have used. A cold room means it will ferment slower. It will be ready when it has doubled in size. This can take up to 1 1/2 hrs.

SCALE AND SHAPE

• Weigh the dough and divide into 14 equal pieces
• Shape each one into a ball shape by gathering the seams and pinching them together and then rolling it on the countertop with your hand, cupping it all the time. Make sure the seam is hidden underneath.
• Place on a large baking tray or two smaller baking trays lined with baking paper.

PROOVE

• Cover them with a floured cloth or large plastic bag and leave to prove at room temperature for approximately 45 minutes Make sure no air can get at the dough or a skin will form. Do the poke test to see if they are ready, see our video clips.
  

20 MINUTES INTO YOUR PROOVING TIME PRE HEAT THE OVEN TO 180 DEGREES CELCIUS.

MAKE THE BATTER

• While the buns are proofing make the batter
• Place the flour and baking powder in a bowl.
• Rub in the butter.
• Add in the milk.
• Using a whisk mix for a few minutes until there are no lumps and the batter is at piping consistency.
• Fill a piping bag with the batter and wait for your buns to prove.
• Cut the end of your piping bag with a scissors.The hole should be about 1 cm.
• Pipe a cross on each bun. I find it's easier to do if the buns are close together and you can pipe a large trail right across them.
  

BAKE

• Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C for 12-15 minutes until the buns have a lovely golden brown colour. While the buns are baking, warm up the apricot jam in the microwave for 45 seconds. As soon as you remove the buns from the oven use a pastry brush to brush each one liberally with the warm glaze
  

Prepare in advance - Variations on the process

• If you would like these fresh in the morning without doing all the prep in one day divide the process into two days.

  or

  After the dough has had it's bulk ferment it can go in the covered bowl into the fridge for 12 hrs. You can continue the next steps the following day. After the buns have been shaped and before the final prove, place the buns on a baking tray, cover them and leave them in the fridge overnight. You will then prove them the next day, pipe the cross and bake.

STORAGE

• These buns are best eaten on the same day but can be stored at room temperature for 2 days.

  Thy also freeze really well. After they have baked allow them to cool. Place in freezer bags and freeze for up to 4 weeks. When you need them, heat them from frozen in the oven at 180 degrees celsius for 10 minutes.

  Please share your pics with us we would love to see them! @devotedtobakes