Butter-top Sugar Raisin Buns
| Ingredient | about 15 buns | about 15 buns |
|---|---|---|
| Bread | ||
| milk | ½+⅓ cup | 200ml |
| egg | 1½ | 1½ |
| butter | 3 Tbsp. | 3 Tbsp. |
| bread flour | 2½ cups | 400g |
| brown sugar | 3 Tbsp. | 3 Tbsp. |
| salt | 1 tsp. | 1 tsp. |
| dry yeast | 1½ tsp. | 1½ tsp. |
| raisins | 1 cup | 150g |
| Toppings | ||
| butter | 2-3 Tbsp. | 30-40g |
| sugar | to dust | to dust |
| egg | ½ | ½ |
These cute little split-top buns are buttery, lightly sweet, and incredibly fluffy, with a satisfying little crunch from the sugar topping. They're by far the tastiest fresh out of the oven, which shouldn't be much of a problem since they're so good they're not likely to last long.
Preparation
- Divide the butter for the topping into 15 dollops of around a half-teaspoon each on a plate and put it in the refrigerator to chill.
- Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a large baking sheet.
- Time preheating the oven to 375°F (190°C) so that it's ready when the buns are ready to bake.
Directions
- Add ingredients to bread machine and run dough cycle.
Put all bread ingredients other than raisins in bread machine, in order listed. Scramble one of the two eggs lightly and reserve half of it in the refrigerator for the glazing later. Start the machine on the dough cycle. Add the raisins a couple of minutes before it's done kneading. If you use the automatic add-in bin on your machine it might add them a bit early which tends to smash them up. - Divide dough and let rest.
When the machine has finished, turn out the dough onto a floured work surface. Divide the dough into 15 equal pieces and form each piece into a ball. Rather than rolling it into a ball, pull the outside of the dough down, pinch it together, and stuff it into the underside, folding it in on itself, so that the top surface becomes round and taut. Lay a piece of plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel on top of the balls and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Punch down and re-form balls.
Flatten each ball with your palm to push gas bubbles out, then re-form each into a ball as above, stretching and pinching it into a smooth, taut ball. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet with sufficient space between them that they won't stick together when they expand.
- Let dough rise.
Place the baking sheet somewhere warm (95-105°F / 35-40°C) and let dough rise for about an hour. - Clip and top buns.
Use a pair of kitchen scissors to clip a shallow X into the top of each bun. Don't try to do it in two cuts; cut the ball once, then cut each side. Brush the clipped buns with the reserved egg. Place a dollop of the chilled butter into the center of each X. Sprinkle the top of each bun with a couple of pinches of sugar.
- Bake.
Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 10-12 minutes, until golden. Let cool on a wire rack.
