Saffron Buns Recipes

Steps:

• Combine 1/2 cup boiling water, saffron, and 1 pinch salt in a small bowl; steep for 8 hours to overnight.
• Crumble yeast into a small bowl; add 1/4 cup warm water and 1 pinch sugar.
• Mix 1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
• Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to bubble, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; allow to cool for 5 minutes.
• Beat saffron water, scalded milk, shortening, lemon extract, and lemon zest together in a bowl. Add eggs; stir to combine.
• Pour yeast mixture and milk mixture into sugar mixture; mix well. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time; mix after each addition until incorporated. Stir in raisins and currants. Knead dough well; transfer to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9x12-inch baking pans.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Form each half into 12 equal balls; arrange in prepared baking pans. Allow dough to rise again, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 30 minutes.

Steps:

• In a small pot, combine milk, butter, sugar and 1/3 cup/60 milliliters water over medium heat and heat about 1 minute, until butter has melted and the mixture is just lukewarm. (Too much heat will kill the yeast when it's added.)
• Transfer to a bowl, add saffron and yeast, whisk to combine and then set aside until the mixture is yellow and lightly frothy, 15 to 30 minutes.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine both flours, the salt and the milk mixture. Knead for 3 minutes, starting on the lowest speed and gradually increasing to medium, pausing every now and then to scrape down the sides and incorporate any dry bits on the bottom of the bowl. (If there is flour that refuses to be incorporated, add a teaspoon or two of water.)
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knead by hand for 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Cover dough with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Grease a 9-inch/24-centimeter cake pan and line it with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and roll each into a smooth ball. Place 1 dough ball in the center of the cake pan and then arrange the rest in a circle around it, leaving a 1/2-inch/1-centimeter gap on all sides of each ball. Cover with a slightly damp cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size. The buns will press against one other and against the sides of the pan.
• Toward the end of the rising, heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celsius. Bake the risen buns for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden-brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• While the buns bake, make the syrup: Use the flat side of a heavy knife to crush the cardamom and discard the papery outer pods, reserving the seeds. Use the knife or a mortar and pestle to lightly crush the seeds. Slit the vanilla bean lengthwise and use the tip of a small knife to scrape out the seeds from both sides. In a small pot, combine maple syrup, butter, cardamom and vanilla seeds over medium heat and cook 5 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the butter has melted and the syrup has thickened. Reduce the heat if necessary to prevent scorching. Set aside and keep warm.
• As soon as the buns are baked, use a pastry brush to coat them evenly with syrup, then immediately sprinkle with the sea salt and seeds (if using). Let cool 10 minutes before transferring to a serving plate. To eat, slice the bun across the middle, and spread generously with clotted cream.

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the milk, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and the saffron threads. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once the milk is steaming, remove from the heat and let cool to 110˚F (43˚C).
• Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and let bubble, about 5 minutes.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, remaining sugar, salt, and cardamom.
• Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the milk, 2 eggs, sour cream, and butter. Stir to combine, then, once the dough starts to come together, use your hands to incorporate fully.
• Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and knead until the dough is springy, about 5 minutes.
• Place the dough in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
• Punch down the dough and flip onto a clean surface.
• Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball about 2 inches (5 cm) wide, then roll into a cylinder about 12-14 inches (30 cm) long
• Swirl the dough into a S shape starting at one end until the middle and then the other end.
• Transfer the dough to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 30 minutes, until doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Beat the remaining egg and brush over the dough swirls. Place a single raisin or chocolate chip in the center of the swirls on each end.
• Bake the buns for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan until the butter has melted and the temperature has reached 100 degrees F (38 degrees C). Crumble the yeast into a bowl, then pour in the warm milk. Stir well until the yeast dissolves.
• Stir in the quark, saffron, sugar, salt, and 7 cups of the flour. Mix the dough in the bowl until it becomes shiny and silky, adding more flour as needed until it begins to come away from the sides of the bowl. Cover, and let rise for 40 minutes.
• Prepare 2 or 3 baking sheets by covering each with a sheet of parchment paper. Lightly flour a work surface, punch down the dough, then divide into 35 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope, 5 to 6 inches long. With the rope lying flat on the work surface, roll each end towards the center, in opposite directions, creating a curled S-shape. Place the buns on the prepared baking sheets, and garnish with raisins if desired. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise for an additional 30 minutes while you preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Gently brush each bun with beaten egg, then bake in the oven until puffed and golden, 5 to 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Put the milk in a small pan and gently heat until it's steaming. Use a pestle and mortar to grind the saffron into a powder. Add this to the pan of milk along with the butter. Swirl to melt the butter, then set aside until lukewarm.
• In a large bowl, mix the flour, caster sugar, 1 tsp salt and the yeast together, and make a well in the middle of the bowl. Pour in the milk mixture along with the egg. Mix together to form a sticky dough, then turn out onto the work surface and knead until smooth and elastic (this will take about 10 mins). Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with oiled cling film. Set the bowl in a warm part of the house and allow to rise for about 1 hr until doubled in size.
• Knock back the dough and divide into 12 equal portions. Cover the pieces with the oiled cling film while you make the rolls - this will stop the dough from drying out. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll out into a 30cm-long strand. Roll up one end into the middle, turn over and roll the other end into the middle, forming the dough into an S-shape. Place the buns on a large (or 2 smaller) parchment-lined baking tray. Once all the buns are made, lightly cover with oiled cling film and prove until almost doubled in size (if making ahead, keep the dough in the fridge overnight and bake in the morning). While the buns prove, heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• When ready to bake, brush the buns with beaten egg and press a currant into the centre of each spiral. Put the trays in the oven and bake for around 15 mins. Allow to cool before serving. These are best eaten on the day they are made but will keep for a couple of days.

Steps:

• Heat the water in a glass 2 Cup measuring cup in the microwave for 2 minutes. Put saffron into the boiling water and let steep for at least 15 minutes.
• Dissolve yeast, sugar and warm water in the bottom of your KA mixer bowl or large bowl. Let it activate for 10 minutes.
• In the mixer bowl with the yeast mixture, add the sugar, salt, lard, eggs, flour, and lemon extract. Mix slowly to incorporate.
• Remove your mixer bowl from the mixer. Add the steeped saffron. Put it back on the mixer and slowly incorporate the saffron mixture.
• Last, add the currents and citron and mix thoroughly.
• Let rise approximately 1-2 hours.
• Drop by heaping T. on Air Bake pans. Put no more than 12 on a sheet. Continue dropping buns on additional sheets. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.(1-2 hours).
• While buns are raising, preheat oven to 350 deg.
• Bake each sheet pan separately, they bake to a light golden brown. My oven seems to burn if I have more than one sheet in at a time.
• Bake appr. 15 minutes, remove from the oven and put next sheet into the oven. When they are cool, store in Ziploc freezer bags. What you don't eat the first few days, the rest should last through the holidays. Enjoy!