I love watching people eat these buns because they can never quite work out what the exact flavour they’re tasting. Some people have said they taste like biscoff cookies whilst others have referred them to a chai latte …i think my favourite description came by a 5 year old last week who took one bite (and several licks) and said “they taste like birthdays”.
Whatever they taste like, they are delicious and i hope you think so to.
Spiced orange buns
Ingredients: (Vg conversion)
For the dough
200ml warm milk (250ml soy milk)
120g melted butter (120g plant based butter)
1 egg (no egg)
500g strong white bread flour
7g instant dried yeast
10g salt
50g caster sugar
For the filling
100g soft butter (plant based butter)
100g caster sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1tsp ginger
1 tsp cardamom
1 orange, zested
For the glaze
75ml orange juice
1tbsp sugar or honey
Pearl sugar to top (optional)
Method
1) Starting with the wet, pour all your dough ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Either knead by hand for 8 minutes or in a stand mixer fitted in a dough hook for 5. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes (this relaxes the gluten and helps it form bonds) then knead for another 3-4 mins.
2) Scoop the dough into an oiled bowl, pop a cloth over the top and prove for 1hr before placing in the fridge to stiffen. Leave in the fridge for anywhere between 1-24hrs (completely up to you and your bun needs).
3) Now let’s make the zesty filling. Start by rubbing the sugar, spices and orange zest in a bowl, sit for 15 minutes (this brings out all the citrous flavours of the zest). Then add the soft butter and beat into a creamy paste.
If you would like to watch a video on how i twist the buns, here is the link :) Youtube
4) When you and the dough are ready, lightly flour a work top, roll the dough into a 30x20cm rectangle (roughly 5mm thick). Spread the spiced butter over the top two thirds of the dough. Then take the bottom (naked) third and fold it over the middle third, finally fold the top third over the top. Sounds complicated but is very simple.
Roll the dough out again into a 5mm thick rectangle. With a pizza roller or sharp knife cut 8-10 strips, 2cm wide.
5) The knot. Take a strip, stetch it a little, then wrap it three times around two of you fingers (2cm apart). When you reach the end of the strip, wrap it over the top (like a belt) then under the bottom, finally pull of your fingers and place belt side up on a lined baking tray. Leave to proof for 1hr then put in the fridge for a further 1-12 hrs (this stops the butter from melting out of the buns).
Preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan
6) Egg wash your buns, then bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. In a saucepan over a medium heat, bring the orange juice and sugar to a boil. Once the buns come out, brush with the glaze and sprinkle over pearl sugar or demerara sugar (if you fancy it).
7) Enjoy .