The bright red swirl of these raspberry buns makes them feel instantly festive. Made with a soft, vanilla-scented dough and filled with a raspberry mixture that’s both tangy and sweet, they bake into the most beautiful, naturally vibrant spirals. A light dusting of icing sugar finishes them perfectly. These are lovely for slow winter mornings or for bringing a little colour to the table when the days feel short.
Merry and bright.
Sometimes frozen fruit is a real game-changer, and this is definitely one of those moments. Frozen raspberries crumble so easily into small pieces, making them perfect for scattering over rolled dough with a little butter and sugar to create a bright, jammy filling.
They hold onto their beautiful red colour in the oven too, giving these buns their vibrant swirl and a lovely tang that balances the sweetness.
Here’s the recipe I come back to every winter.
RASPBERRY SWIRL BUNS
Prep time: 40 minutes (hands on). Proving time: 2.5 hours. Bake time: 18 minutes.
Difficulty: Weekend Project.
INGREDIENTS
Dough:
500g strong white bread flour
7g yeast
2 tsp sea salt
75g caster sugar
300ml milk
50g unsalted butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
Filling:
75g butter, softened
120g soft brown sugar
150g frozen raspberries, chopped
To finish:
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Icing sugar, to serve
Method
Step 1: To make the dough, first gently heat the milk and butter together in a small saucepan until the butter melts. Set aside.
Step 2: Tip the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the yeast to one side of the bowl and the salt and sugar to the other side and mix. Add the warmed milk and butter, along with the vanilla and egg, and run the mixer on a medium speed for 8-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth.
Step 3: Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover. Leave it to rise until doubled in size - around 2 hours.
Step 4: Turn out the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a rectangle approx. 50 x 30 cm in size.
Step 5: Spread the butter over the dough, going almost to the edges. Sprinkle on the sugar and raspberry pieces.
Step 6: Working along the long edge, slice the roll into 12 equal sized strips using a pizza cutter. Roll each one up and place on a lined baking tray allowing space between them (you may need to use more than one tray).
Step 7: Place the tray inside a plastic bag and leave to rise at room temperature for 30-40 minutes. Preheat your oven to 170°C.
Step 8: When the rolls are proved, carefully brush over the egg wash.
Step 9: Bake the rolls for 15-18 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool before dusting with icing sugar.
