Belgian buns

  • 12
  • 1 hour 30 minutes plus at least 2 hours proving time
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This classic Belgian bun recipe makes the perfect sweet treat. Continental cousin to the Chelsea bun, this coiled delight is rolled up with zingy lemon curd and topped with an all important glacé cherry.

This recipe is taken from Bread Ahead: The Expert Home Baker by Matthew Jones (£26, Hardie Grant).

First published in 2022

Matthew says: 'I was fortunate to grow up in the seventies and eighties when the high-street baker was still very much a thing, so for me these classic Belgian buns with the cherry on top are symbolic of this era of baking. We adapted the lemon curd to be more citrussy, which balances the sweetness of the icing and the cherry. This recipe is more on the naughty side of things, but deeply satisfying.'

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Dough

  • 500g of strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 3g of fine sea salt
  • 20g of caster sugar
  • 280g of whole milk
  • 10g of fresh yeast, or 5g dried yeast
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 80g of unsalted butter, softened

Filling

  • 100g of lemon curd
  • 120g of sultanas, or golden raisins

Topping

Method

1

Add the flour, salt and sugar to a large mixing bowl and whisk together. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, yeast, lemon zest and egg yolk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and bring together, ideally with a dough scraper, to form a rough, sticky dough. Turn it out onto the work surface and knead for about 3 minutes until it feels a little more elastic. (It won’t look like a smooth dough yet)

  • 500g of strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 3g of fine sea salt
  • 20g of caster sugar
  • 280g of whole milk
  • 10g of fresh yeast, or 5g dried yeast
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 1 egg yolk
2

Add the butter to the dough a third at a time. Place the cubes of the butter over the surface of the dough, then knead it in, ensuring it is fully incorporated before adding the next quantity. Continue to knead the dough for 3–5 minutes, using the spatula or scraper to bring it together as before. You will know the dough is ready when it stops sticking to your hand and the work surface. With the dough now smooth, elastic and glossy, place it in a clean mixing bowl, cover with a plate or shower cap, and rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, but ideally overnight

3

After this time, place the chilled dough on a lightly floured work surface and use a rolling pin to roll it out to a rectangle, about 50 x 40 cm (20 x 16 in). Spread the lemon curd evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving a small strip clear along one of the long edges. Sprinkle over the sultanas, pressing them gently into the curd

  • 100g of lemon curd
  • 120g of sultanas, or golden raisins
4

Brush the clear strip with a little water and roll up the dough lengthways from the opposite side, gently pressing the dampened edge into the dough to seal it. Rest it seam-side down for a moment while you line a baking sheet with baking paper

5

Cut the roll into 12 pieces, each about 4-cm (1½-in) thick. Carefully transfer them to the baking sheet and gently press them down a little. Alternatively, you can place them in a muffin tray. Cover with a dish towel and leave to prove in a warm place for about 1 hour, until almost doubled in size and touching each other 

6

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (400°F/gas 6). Bake the buns for 15 minutes, then turn the baking sheet around in the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and slide the baking paper with the buns on top off the baking sheet and onto a wire rack to cool

7

Meanwhile, prepare the topping. Sieve the icing sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking to combine (add more lemon juice, if needed – the icing should be a fairly thick consistency)

8

Once the buns are cool, generously pour over the icing over each one and top with a glacé cherry

First published in 2022

Matthew Jones is the founder and owner of Bread Ahead.

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