Swiss Buns

Category: Cakes and Bakes

Traditionally served with afternoon tea, these buns always prove particularly popular with children. They can also be left plain, split and spread with jam and thick cream, then dusted with icing sugar.

Servings

8 buns

Ingredients

2 tsp dried yeast 1 tsp sugar 125ml hand-hot milk 200g strong white breadmaking flour ½ tsp salt 2 tsp sugar 25g butter or margarine

Method

Stir the dried yeast and sugar into the milk and leave until frothy - about 15 minutes or blend the fresh yeast with the milk. Sift together the flour and salt. Add the sugar and rub in the fat. Stir in the yeast liquid and mix to a soft dough. Turn onto a well-floured surface and knead until smooth and no longer sticky. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise until doubled in size - about 1 hour. Knock back the risen dough. Divide into eight and form each piece into a sausage shape 12cm in length. Place the shaped buns well apart on greased baking trays. Cover and leave to prove until buns are light and puffy - about 20 minutes. Bake in a hot oven 220C/gas 7 until golden brown - about 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. To decorate: When cool, ice buns with a fairly stiff white or pink glace icing made with 150g (6oz) icing sugar, water and colouring (if preferred). Cook's note The buns can be frozen for up to 2 months, before they are iced. Bun Round - Knock back the risen dough, divide into eight and shape into buns. Place in a greased 20cm spring form tin. Cover with cling film and leave to prove until doubled in size and the buns have all joined up. Bake and decorate as above. PER SERVING 124 Kcal, fat 3.2g, saturated fat 1.8g, salt 0.4g, carbohydrate 21.2g, sugar 2.7g, fibre 0.8g