Sugar Crusted Cinnamon & Date Sweet Buns

Makes 6

1 cup milk

80g unsalted butter

22/3 cup ‘00’ flour

1/3 cup caster sugar

7g sachet instant dried yeast

1 egg, at room temperature, plus 1

extra egg to brush

1 tbsp raw sugar

¼ cup date syrup (or maple syrup)

FILLING

¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar 12 (approximately 250g) fresh Medjool dates, pitted and finely chopped

70g unsalted butter, chopped and

softened

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 180°C (160° fan forced). Place the milk in a saucepan over low heat and stir until just warm. Add the butter, take off the heat and stir until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.

Combine the flour, sugar and yeast in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add milk mixture and knead on low speed until combined. Add egg and knead until combined.

Increase speed to high and knead for 3-4 minutes or until the dough comes together in a ball. Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover with a clean, damp tea towel and set aside for 30 minutes to rest. Turn out dough, knead for 1 minute, return to the bowl, cover with clean, damp tea towel and refrigerate for 2 hours.

For the filling, combine all ingredients in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle and beat until combined.

Roll the dough out to 35 x 35cm square. Spread the filling over two-thirds of the dough, then fold the bottom third up and the top third down (like folding a letter) to enclose the filling completely. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Remove from the fridge, roll the dough into a 25 x 40cm rectangle. Cut dough into 6 x 3cm wide vertical strips and twist into ropes. Roll each strip into a spiral and place in the holes of a lightly greased 6-hole (3/4 cup capacity) Texas muffin tin. Cover loosely with a clean, damp tea towel and set aside for 30 minutes, or until risen.

Brush with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve drizzled with date syrup.