Zesty, buttery and sweet - these mini bun loaves have everything! Soft dough encasing a sweet lemon filling is shaped and baked to form these moreish pull-apart teatime buns, where the sticky lemon glaze really is the icing on the cake.
Laid-Back Loaves.
These individual bun loaves are easier to make that you might think. The method follows the same comforting steps as classic cinnamon rolls, with just a small tweak at the end to shape them into individual loaves.
They each come out slightly unique, giving this bake a wonderfully unpolished, homemade feel.
MINI LEMON BUN LOAVES
Prep time: 30 minutes (hands on). Proving time: 2.5 hours. Bake time: 15 minutes.
Difficulty: Weekend Project.
INGREDIENTS
Dough:
300g strong white flour
5g salt
4g yeast
40g golden caster sugar
1 egg
150ml milk
50g butter, softened
Zest of 1 lemon
Filling:
50g butter, softened
85g soft brown sugar
1 lemon, zest and juice
Topping:
2 tbsp icing sugar
Lemon juice
Lemon zest, finely grated (optional)
Method
Step 1: To make the dough, gently heat the milk until warm, but not hot. Add the butter to the pan and set aside.
Step 2: Tip the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (or a large mixing bowl if you are kneading the dough by hand). Add the yeast to one side of the bowl and the salt and sugar to the other side and mix using a spoon or spatula.
Add the warmed milk along with the butter, egg and lemon zest, and run the mixer on a medium speed for 8-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth. If you are kneading by hand, this may take a bit longer.
Step 3: Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover. Leave it to rise until doubled in size - around 2 hours. Chill for 30 minutes to make it easier to roll out.
Step 4: To make the filling, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined.
Step 5: Turn out the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a rectangle approx. 30 x 20 cm in size.
Step 6: Spread the filling over the dough, going almost to the edges. Roll up tightly along the long edge, and with the seam side facing down cut off any uneven ends. Cut the roll into 6 even sized pieces.
Step 7: Take one piece of the roll, lie it flat side down and cut it in half. You should now have 2 semi circles of swirled dough. Place these side-by-side in one of the mini loaf tins, with the curved edge facing down, and the cut edges on the top. Repeat with the 5 remaining pieces of the roll.
Step 8: Place the mini tins on a baking tray, and cover with a tea towel. Leave to prove for around 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F).
Step 9: Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven, and leave to cool in the tins.
Step 10 : Once cool, carefully remove the loaves from their tins. Mix together the icing sugar and lemon juice until you have a smooth glaze. Drizzle over the lemon loaves and finish with some finely grated zest.
Step 11: Serve as they are, or wrap in greaseproof paper for gifting (and to avoid sticky fingers!)
