Saffron Currant Buns
Ingredients
- Big pinch Saffron strands
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) Boiling water
- 150 ml Milk
- 125 g Unsalted butter (+ extra for greasing)
- 100 ml Water (cool)
- 600 g Strong white bread flour
- 7-8 g (1 sachet) Fast action dried yeast
- OR 15 g OR Fresh yeast
- 5 g Salt
- 85 g Caster sugar
- 1 Egg
- 200 g Currants
- A little Milk for brushing (optional)
- A few tbsp Pearl sugar (optional)
Accompaniment
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Description
Delicious soft buns with the lovely flavour of saffron which also of course gives the buns their bright colour.
Method
-
1
Line two baking sheets with baking paper.
Put the saffron in a small bowl or cup and pour over the boiling water then leave for at least an hour.
Put the milk in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Just as bubbles start to appear around the edges, turn off the heat and add the butter. Stir until the butter has melted, then add 100 ml water and the saffron (soaked strands and water). Stir together.
Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl, add the yeast (if using fresh yeast, rub it into the flour as if making a crumble), salt and sugar. Stir together.
Lightly beat the egg with a fork. Add the egg and the saffron milk mixture (it should be lukewarm - between 37 and 42 degrees C) and mix together.
Knead with a dough hook for 6-8 minutes until smooth. Add the currants and work into the dough by hand, or with the dough hook on a slow speed. Alternatively, knead the dough by hand for about 10 minutes, adding the currants towards the end. Due to the texture of the dough, you shouldn't need to flour the surface.
Rub a little butter on the insides of a large bowl.
Place the dough in the bowl, cover with a shower cap / cling film and leave in a warm place (around 30 degrees) for an hour until slightly risen.
Turn out the dough and divide into 12-14 equal pieces (approx. 100 g each). Form each into a ball, or oval shape if you prefer, and place about 3cm apart on the lined baking sheets.
Place the baking sheets in large plastic bags, or cover with lightly buttered cling film and return to the warm place for an hour until almost doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C (fan*).
Optional - brush the tops with a little milk and top each one with a little pearl sugar.
Bake on the middle shelf (or middle and top shelf if the sheets won't fit side by side) for 18-20 minutes. It should sound hollow when you tap the base.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Enjoy warm or cool, or toasted the next day.
Great on their own, or with butter / clotted cream and jam.
Chef's Tips
*For a non-fan oven, try 220C or bake for 5 minutes longer at 200 C.
To make a saffron bun loaf, place 6-7 of the shaped balls side by side in two lines in a small loaf tin (450-500 g / 1 lb) greased (base and sides) with a little soft butter. Leave to rise for an hour until it has risen just above the top of the tin. Bake for 30 minutes.
The quantity of dough above will make 12-14 buns, or 2 small loaves, or 1 loaf and 6-8 buns.
You can make half the quantity of dough (when I did this I got 1 loaf and 1 bun) - weigh the lightly beaten egg, use half in the dough and the other half for something else (e.g. add to other eggs for an omelette / scrambled eggs). The 'spare' egg can be kept, covered with cling film or in a lidded pot, for a couple of days in the fridge.
Optional - instead of the pearl sugar, leave plain, or glaze with a little warmed honey / golden syrup (see my hot cross bun recipe) when they come out of the oven.
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