St. Lucia saffron buns
CATEGORIES
INGREDIENTS
- Servings: Makes 12
- 1 tsp saffron threads
- 240ml milk
- 50g/1,7 oz./¼ cup unsalted butter
- 100g/3,5 oz./½ cup sour cream (if you don’t have sour cream, squeeze a few drop of lemon juice into your cream and let stand for 5-10 minutes, or use Greek yogurt)
- 500g/1lb/4 cups bread flour
- 50g/1,7 oz./¼ cup caster sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1½ tsp active dry yeast
- 24 raisins or sultanas
- 1 egg, beaten
- Optional: 2 tbsp brandy, ½ tsp ground cardamom
DIRECTIONS
- Combine the milk and saffron threads, and heat in a pan or in the microwave until warm. Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Melt the butter in the microwave or in a separate pan, and allow to cool before stirring it into the milk.
- Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the sugar, baking powder and salt, and mix with a wooden spoon.
- Add the yeast and mix.
- Stir in the milk and sour cream. Bring together to form a dough.
- Lightly flour your working surface, tip the dough and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
- Put the dough back in the bowl, cover with Clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm spot for 1½ hours or until it has doubled in size.
- Grease two baking trays, or line them with baking paper.
- Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knock it back in one or two punches.
- Divide into 12 equal pieces (mine were about 80g/2,8 oz. each).
- Roll out each piece into a 25 cm/10 in. cylinder and roll each end in so as to form and S shape.
- Place on the baking sheets and add a raisin into the centre of each of the two “eyes” of the rolls.
- Cover with a towel and let rise for 45 minutes, or until the buns have doubled in size again.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F.
- Beat the egg and brush over the buns.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool on a wire rack before serve warm with cold milk, hot chocolate… or a cup of glögg (mulled wine).
- Enjoy!