We've partnered with Lizzy Keener from Elsewhere Bread to bring you these Saffron Cream Buns with Coconut!
Lizzy's Notes - These are naturally leavened buns (sourdough) so buckle up, because it is a two day process for these goodies! Well worth the patience in my book! A lot of that time is hands off time — we are simply allowing time to work it’s magic on the dough, which in turn yields a wonderfully flavored bun with a subtle tang, as well as making it easier on your body to digest because the dough has fermented with time. I hope you enjoy! Be sure to read through the recipe and prepare specified items on day #1, before you bake them off on day #2. Have fun!
Recipe yields 10 buns
Ingredients:
Sourdough Milk Buns:
The Tangzhong:
- 110 g milk
- 30 g bread flour
The Dough
- 150 g milk
- 1 egg
- 73 g sugar
- 100 g active sourdough starter
- all of the tangzhong
- 425 g bread flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 60 g unsalted butter (cubed & room temp)
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1tbs water
Simple Syrup Glaze
- 100 g sugar
- 100 g water
Topping
- shredded coconut flakes
Saffron Whipped Cream
- One pinch Saffron threads
- ~400 g heavy cream
Instructions:
The Tangzhong:
In a small sauce pan, heat milk and flour over medium heat, whisking slowly and constantly. Once the mixture begins to thicken, switch to a firm wooden spoon, or firm rubber spatula, whisking/ stirring constantly until the mixture has congealed and thickened up nicely. Set aside and allow to cool before adding it to the final dough mixture. Note: I like to make my tangzhong the day before I am mixing the dough - so, once it is cooled, i store it in a container with a lid in the fridge, until I am ready to mix the dough the next day.
(tangzhong is the process of cooking flour and water (or in this case milk) together - this process helps make breads & rolls more fluffy and soft in the end result).
The Dough:
In the bowl of a stand mixer (note you can knead by hand as well, just will take several extra minutes of kneading time) combine the milk, egg, tangzhong, and sourdough starter. Mix this together until the liquids are at least somewhat broken up and incorporated together. Next, with the dough hook attachment of your stand mixer, add in the flour, salt, and sugar, kneading it on low/medium speed for about 8-10 minutes. Next, add the cubes of butter into the mixture a few cubes at a time, waiting to add more until each section of cubes has been kneaded into the dough & disappeared. You want to knead for a total of at least 15 minutes or until you see the dough not clinging to the side of the mixing bowl anymore. You want to mix enough to build enough gluten!
Next, dump the dough onto a clean counter, and form it into a ball. Lightly oil a bowl that can fit your dough inside of it and leave room for it to double in size. Place a fitted lid on top - and let the dough rise for about 6-8 hours at room temp!
Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Then, once the dough has double or tripled in size, you can shape your buns! Weigh each bun out to 100 grams (a bench scraper is a helpful tool here). Shape dough into a little ball using the surface of your counter to build tension. After each bun is shaped, place them on the baking sheet, spaced apart from each other (I can fit 6 buns per half sheet tray)
Wrap the tray in plastic wrap, and fridge the buns over night!
The next day, about 5-8 hours before you are ready to bake, get your shaped buns out from the fridge and let them proof again at room temperature for 5-8 hours (timing depends on how warm or cold your kitchen is; the warmer your kitchen is, the quicker they will rise)! What you are looking for is for the buns to puff up nicely so they’re nice and soft when you bake them. Be sure to proof them with plastic wrap still covering the buns loosely so they do not dry out. When the buns are proofed, preheat your oven to 325 F.
Prepare the egg wash by whisking the egg and water together, and brush each bun with the egg wash.
Bake buns until they are a light golden brown color - for about 20 minutes.
Immediately upon taking them out of the oven brush with the simple syrup glaze and sprinkle the dried coconut flakes over the top of the bun (or dip the glazed bun into a bowl of coconut flakes - whichever method you prefer).
Let buns cool completely on cooling rack.
Once buns are cooled, cut them in half from top to bottom, WITHOUT cutting the whole way through. In the opening, fill each bun with saffron whip using a piping bag!
Saffron Whipped Cream:
On day #1 heat the heavy cream and saffron in a saucepan until a light simmer. Remove from heat, and let cool a little bit, then transfer to a sealed container and fridge overnight. On day #2, while the buns are cooling, you can get the cream out of the fridge, & whip it. Add your desired sweetness worth of powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, and some vanilla. Whip until stiff peaks. Transfer to a piping bag!
Once all of the buns are assembled, feel free to sprinkle powdered sugar over the finished product! Enjoy!
