Homemade Belgian Buns Recipes

PAUL HOLLYWOOD'S BELGIAN BUNS

Steps:

• Make the dough. Place the flour, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Make a well in the centre and tip in the yeast.
• Warm the butter and milk with 120ml of water in a small saucepan until the butter is melted and the mixture is lukewarm. Pour this into the flour mixture, and stir thoroughly until the contents of the bowl come together as a soft dough.
• Tip out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead well for 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover and leave it to rise, for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
• Make the curd. Put the lemon juice and zest, sugar and butter into a heatproof bowl. Sit the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl. Stir the mixture every now and again until all the butter has melted.
• Lightly whisk the egg and egg yolk together in a bowl and then stir them into the lemon mixture. Whisk until all the ingredients are well combined, then leave the mixture to cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring every now and again, until the mixture is creamy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove the lemon curd from the heat and leave it to cool, then chill it until set.
• Tip out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and roll it out into a rectangle measuring about 30 x 40cm with a short end closest you. Tack down this end by pressing it down onto the work surface with your thumb.
• Spread the lemon curd over the dough and sprinkle it with the sultanas. Starting at the short end furthest away from you, roll the rough towards you quite tightly until the roll is complete. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough roll into 12 thick rounds.
• Arrange the bun on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them well apart. Place each baking sheet into a proving bag and leave the buns to rise for 45 minutes, until doubled in size.
• Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas 6. Brush the buns with a little egg wash. Bake the buns for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4 and cook them for a further 10 minutes, until golden brown. Remove the buns from the oven, leave them to cool slightly then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Make the decoration. Mix together the icing sugar, lemon zest and about 2 tablespoons of water to make a stiff, but pourable icing. Dip the buns in the icing, then allow any excess to drip off. Top with half a glacé cherry and leave to set before serving.

EASY BELGIAN BUN RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine yeast, warm milk (up to 37 degrees), three tablespoons of flour and a spoonful of sugar. Stir well and leave the bowl in a warm place and allow the yeast to react with the sugar. After 15-20 minutes, foam will appear on the surface of the milk, which means the yeast is being activated.
• Add melted butter, egg, orange extract, sugar, and sifted plain flour into the bowl with the yeast mixture. Then knead the dough. If the dough is too sticky, then add a little more flour. But make sure the dough is not too dense. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for an hour.
• Meanwhile, add soft seedless raisins, cinnamon powder and lemon zest to a bowl of fruit curd and mix everything well.
• Preheat oven at 180C/360F for about 20 minutes. Once the dough has increased in size by 2-3 times, transfer it to a table and roll it into a flat layer. Spread the curd mixture on the layer and leave the edges free. Roll the dough firmly to prevent it from unrolling. Then cut the roll into equal sized pieces. Each piece should be about 2-3 cm thick.
• Place the dough swirl side up and lay each roll 2-3 cm apart on a silicone or Teflon mat or baking paper. If you are using baking paper then grease it with a little butter or olive oil. Then grease the buns with the water and sugar mixture. To make the mixture, mix 50 ml of water with 1 tsp of sugar.
• Bake buns in a hot oven for about 20 minutes. While the buns are baking, combine the icing sugar and lemon juice then glaze the hot rolls and place half of the glazed cherries on top.

BELGIAN BUNS

Steps:

• Heat milk with 3oz of fat till it is just melted.
• Cream the yeast with 3oz sugar.
• Add to milk.
• Sieve flour into a large bowl.
• Make a well in centre.
• Beat in the eggs and yeast.
• mix to a soft dough.
• Cover with a damp cloth and put in a warm place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours till doubled in size.
• Turn on to a floured surface and knead well.
• Roll into oblong about 16 x 12 inches.
• Melt reminaing fat and brush over dough, sprinkle with dried fruit and remaining sugar.
• Roll dough up tightly and cut into about 16 slices.
• Put onto a baking sheet for another 20- 30 minutes.
• Bake at 450F for about 20 minutes.
• Keep an eye on them.
• When cold, ice with white water icing and pop cherry in midde.