Apple and pecan buns
YOU WILL NEED
250g strong white bread flour, plus extra to dust ½ tsp salt 95g unsalted butter 150ml lukewarm milk 3g quick yeast 35g caster sugar 200g cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped into 1cm chunks ½ tbsp ground cinnamon 25g dark brown sugar 15g roasted pecan nuts, roughly chopped 75g icing sugar
DIRECTIONS
■ Rub together the flour, salt and 45g butter in a bowl to form fine breadcrumbs. Add the milk, yeast and 15g caster sugar to the flour mixture and combine. Use your hands to form a dough.
■ On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 5 minutes. Return the dough to a bowl, cover with cling film and leave to prove in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
■ Meanwhile, add the apple, remaining caster sugar, cinnamon and
2 tbsp water to a saucepan. Place over a medium heat and cook for 5 minutes, until the apples have softened a little. Set aside.
■ Grease a muffin tray with butter. Place the dough onto a sheet of baking paper dusted with flour. Roll out the dough into a 1cm-thick rectangle, roughly 24 x 40cm. Beat the remaining butter to soften then spread over the dough. Spoon the apple mixture on top. Scatter brown sugar over the apples then roll the dough into a tight sausage shape.
■ Cut the roll into 12 even slices. Place each slice into the muffin tin and top with pecans. Cover with cling film and leave to prove for 30 minutes. ■ Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Bake the buns for 20-25 minutes. Add the icing sugar to a bowl and gradually add 3 tbsp water to create a thick, smooth icing. Remove the buns from the oven, leave to cool slightly then drizzle the icing on top.
Recipe and image courtesy of The Baking Club recipe book, £15, bakedin.co.uk