Cornish Saffron Buns
These vegan Cornish Saffron Buns were described as “the best Saffron Buns I’ve ever tasted” by multiple Cornish men and women during testing! They are soft and squishy on the inside with a delicate sweetness and unique saffron flavour.
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Serves: 8 buns
Calories: 420kcal
Ingredients
For the buns:
- 1 x 0.5g jar saffron strands
- 200 ml dairy free milk (unsweetened, nut free if required)
- 50 ml dairy free milk (unsweetened, nut free if required)
- 1 x 7g sachet dried instant yeast
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 140 g dairy free margarine (melted)
- 500 g strong white bread flour (plus extra for dusting)
- 60 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 100 g sultanas (substitute: raisins)
For the sugar glaze:
- 3 tbsp caster sugar (approx 50g)
- 3 tbsp hot water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 100°C fan (120°C conventional / 250°F / gas mark 1/2).
- Spread the saffron strands out on a baking tray and bake them for 20 minutes. Once baked, grind the saffron into a powder. This helps to release as much flavour as possible.1 x 0.5g jar saffron strands
- Warm 200ml of the milk in a saucepan until it is steaming. Remove it from the heat and stir in the powdered saffron. Set it aside, off of the heat, to infuse for 20 minutes.200 ml dairy free milk
- Warm the remaining 50ml milk gently in the microwave or a pan until it is around 40°C (100°F) (approx 15 seconds in the microwave). Note: If you don’t have a thermometer, you can do the ‘finger test’ - at 40°C (100°F) it should feel neither warm nor cold to the touch when you dip your finger into it (i.e. it’s more or less the same as your body temperature).50 ml dairy free milk
- Add the 50ml of warm milk to a jug with the yeast and 1 tsp caster sugar, stir and set it aside for 10 minutes to froth up.*1 x 7g sachet dried instant yeast, 1 tsp caster sugar
- Add the melted butter to the saffron milk and stir together. Let the liquid cool to 40°C (100°F), which should be fairly soon after adding the butter to the milk. Don’t be tempted to use it when it is hotter than this as it could kill the yeast.140 g dairy free margarine
- In a large bowl stir together the flour, 60g sugar, cinnamon and salt.500 g strong white bread flour, 60 g caster sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp salt
- Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the saffron milk and margarine mixture along with the jug of frothy yeast.
- Stir it together and then bring it together into a dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for 7 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth like bubblegum.
- Add the sultanas to the dough in stages and continue kneading for another 2 minutes to incorporate and evenly spread the sultanas throughout the dough.100 g sultanas
- Place the dough in a bowl, cover it and leave it in a warm place to prove until it has doubled in size. Depending on the warmth of your kitchen this should take between 1.5 - 2 hours. Note: The proving of this dough takes a little longer than other doughs, such as bread dough, due to the spices and fruit.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into 8 sections and roll them between your hands to make balls. Place the dough balls on a lined baking tray, spread out, and set the tray aside somewhere warm to prove again for 30 minutes. Note: If you want your buns to be more uniform in size you can weigh the dough out - you should have approximately 8 x 120g.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (200°C conventional / 400°F / gas mark 6) and then bake the buns for 18-20 minutes until they are golden on top.
- Add 3 tbsp of boiling water to a small dish with 3 tbsp of caster sugar and stir together for 30 seconds until the sugar has dissolved. Note: If you want a super smooth glaze on the buns then you can add the water and sugar to a small saucepan and simmer for a minute.3 tbsp caster sugar, 3 tbsp hot water
- As soon as the buns are out of the oven, brush them with the glaze.
- Place the buns on a cooling rack to cool.
Video
Notes
Vegan / Dairy Free / Egg Free
Recipe inspired by: Cornwall, England
* I recommend proofing the yeast (letting it froth up in a jug) before adding it to the recipe because in my tests this has resulted in a better and quicker overall dough rise.
If you want to skip this step you can add the dried instant yeast to the flour and stir it in, just don’t forget to use the full milk allocation of 250ml when you make the saffron milk rather than just the 200ml mentioned in the instructions.
You may need to wait a little longer for the dough to rise (15-30 minutes) but I have tried this method and it does still work fine, I personally just prefer proofing the yeast beforehand for optimal results.
Please check the allergens on the ingredients you purchase before use. The allergen information provided in this recipe is intended as a guide only and is based on the specific ingredients and brands used at the time of creating the recipe, therefore we cannot guarantee that the same will apply to the ingredients you use.
Prep time excludes any inactive time.
We highly recommend you use the metric and 1x options on this recipe card for the best results. Please note that this recipe has not been tested using US measurements or increasing ingredient quantities to 2x or 3x, therefore results may vary.
Nutrition
Calories: 420kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 454mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 20g | Net Carbohydrates: 66g
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