Make Saffron Buns - The Victorian Way
Mrs Crocombe shows how to make Saffron Buns for Easter the Victorian way.
They are a lovely treat and guaranteed to bring a bit of colour to any Easter table.
She includes the recipe and method so you can make it yourself.
Duration/Time: 9:08
INGREDIENTS:
Makes 10-12 buns
- Salt – a pinch
- Currants – 55g
- Lard – 30g / 1 oz/ 1 tbsp
- Eggs – 1 egg, lightly beaten
- Lemon – the zest of half a lemon
- Flour - 250g / 9 oz / 2 cups
- Sugar – 55g / 2 oz / 1/3 cup
- Yeast – 4g dried or 10g fresh
- Butter – 30g / 1 oz/ quarter of a stick
- Milk – 90 ml / 3floz / half a cup, slightly warmed
- Spices/Cinnamon, cloves and mace – a pinch of each
- Caraway seeds - (optional) quarter of a teaspoon
- Saffron – pinch, soaked for 2 hours in 2 tsp warm milk
To glaze:
- 1 egg
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp milk
METHOD:
First, make a basic bread dough.
Combine the flour, sugar, salt, egg and yeast together with enough milk to make a soft, but not sticky dough.
Knead the dough for 15-20 minutes.
Set aside in a warm place, covered with oiled plastic wrap or in a bowl with a cloth over until it has doubled in size (2-3 hours).
Once the dough has risen, remove it and flatten it out slightly.
Soak the saffron in the warm milk to get most of the colour out. You can then add add your other ingredients.
Put the spices, lemon zest, lard, saffron in its milk (which should now be yellow) and currants in the middle of the flattened dough.
Fold it up, and knead again, folding and squeezing so the new ingredients are well-incorporated.
NOTE:
These days you can also just put everything in a food mixer armed with a dough hook!
Cover again, and leave to double in size once more.
Once the dough has risen, lightly grease two baking sheets and shape your dough into 12 equal buns.
Round them off and leave in a covered bowl for 20 minutes to double in size once again.
Make the egg glaze
Whilst waiting, create a glaze with an egg, a pinch of salt, and 1 tbsp of milk.
When ready, brush over each bun. Then, bake in the oven at 180c / 350F for 15-20 minutes until each bun is golden brown.
Serve hot on their own, or slathered with butter!