How to make tasty iced buns at home

Iced buns are a classic treat that can bring back sweet memories of childhood. They are soft, fluffy buns topped with a layer of icing and sometimes filled with cream and jam. They are perfect for afternoon tea, birthday parties, or any occasion that calls for a delicious dessert.

You might think that iced buns are difficult to make at home, but they are actually quite easy and fun. All you need are some basic ingredients, a bit of patience, and a lot of creativity. In this article, I will show you how to make iced buns from scratch, and give you some tips and tricks to make them even more tasty.

The Basic Recipe

The basic recipe for iced buns is similar to any bread dough. You will need strong white flour, plain flour, fast-action dried yeast, caster sugar, unsalted butter, an egg, and milk. You will also need icing sugar and water for the icing, and optionally some food colouring and sprinkles for decoration.

To make the dough, you will need to heat the milk and water until hot but not boiling, then set aside to cool until lukewarm. Then you will sift the flours into a large bowl and stir in the yeast, sugar, and salt. Make a well in the centre and add the butter, egg, and milk mixture. Mix to form a soft dough, then knead on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

Next, you will place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with greased cling film. Leave it in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, which should take about an hour and a half. Then you will punch down the dough and divide it into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a sausage and place on a lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1.5 cm apart. Cover again with greased cling film and leave to prove for another 45 minutes or until puffed.

Finally, you will bake the buns in a preheated oven at 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 for 8 to 10 minutes until golden. Cool them on a wire rack before icing.

To make the icing, you will need to sift the icing sugar into a bowl and gradually add water until you have a thick but spreadable consistency. You can also add some food colouring if you like. Then you will dip the top of each bun into the icing and sprinkle with some sprinkles if desired.

The Filling

If you want to make your iced buns even more indulgent, you can fill them with whipped cream and jam. You will need double cream, icing sugar, vanilla paste, and your favourite jam. You can use lemon curd or strawberry jam for a classic flavour combination.

To make the filling, you will need to whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla paste until stiff peaks form. Then you will transfer the cream to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Split the round buns in half as you would a burger bun, or the finger buns down the middle lengthways. Spoon roughly 60g of jam over the bottom half of each bun (or down the middle), alternating the flavours, then pipe over a swirl of cream. Continue until all the buns are filled.

The Variations

You can also experiment with different flavours and toppings for your iced buns. Here are some suggestions:

Chocolate

Add some cocoa powder to the icing sugar and water mixture for a chocolate icing. You can also add some chocolate chips or shavings to the cream filling.

Coconut

Add some desiccated coconut to the dough before kneading. You can also sprinkle some coconut flakes over the icing.

Cinnamon

Add some ground cinnamon to the dough before kneading. You can also sprinkle some cinnamon sugar over the icing.

Lemon

Add some lemon zest and juice to the icing sugar and water mixture for a lemon icing. You can also use lemon curd instead of jam for the filling.

Orange

Add some orange zest and juice to the icing sugar and water mixture for an orange icing. You can also use orange marmalade instead of jam for the filling.

Now that you know how to make tasty iced buns at home, why not give it a try? You will be amazed by how easy and fun it is to create your own homemade versions of this classic treat. You can also share your creations with your friends and family, or enjoy them by yourself with a cup of tea. Iced buns are a great way to treat yourself and make any occasion more special.

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