Classic sticky buns

DOUGH

2 cups milk

3 tsp dry yeast granules

¾ cup sugar

125g butter, melted but not hot

6 cups high-grade flour

1 tsp salt

CINNAMON FILLING

140g butter, softened but not melted ¾ cup sugar

2 Tbsp ground cinnamon

SYRUP GLAZE

½ cup sugar 6 Tbsp water

Place the milk in a small pot and heat gently until lukewarm (so it feels neutral to the touch when you dip your finger into it). Remove from the heat, sprinkle the yeast over the top and whisk lightly to disperse. Whisk in the sugar and stand 3 minutes. Add the melted butter and stir to combine. Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the milk and butter mixture and stir until just combined. Tip the dough on to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and silky — about 60-100 kneading strokes. Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled container, cover with a clean cloth and leave to rise in a warm place until it has almost doubled in size — about 1½ hours.

When risen, divide the dough in half and refrigerate or freeze one half for later use. Roll the other half out to a 60 x 30cm rectangle on a lightly floured board. To fill, brush the rolled dough liberally with the softened butter. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top of the butter. Roll the dough up tightly along the longest edge into a cylinder shape. Cut into slices about 4cm wide. You should have about 20 scrolls.

Line the base of a 28-30cm round cake tin with baking paper. Arrange the scrolls in the lined cake tin, allowing 1.5-2cm between them. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place (not hot or the butter will melt) for 20 minutes.

While the scrolls are rising, pre-heat the oven to 220C. Bake scrolls for 12-15 minutes until golden and cooked through. While the scrolls are baking, make the glaze by heating sugar and water in a small pot, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. Boil for 3-5 minutes. Brush the scrolls with hot syrup as they emerge from the oven. NOTE: This is a large recipe, and half the recipe makes enough for 20 buns. The other half can be kept in the fridge for a couple of days or frozen. Use this dough also to make hot cross buns (double the amount of spice from the hot cross bun recipe above ) or use half the dough to make my special Italian Easter bread (below). This dough doesn’t require a mixer and is simple enough for small children to make.