My childhood memories are filled with the smell of sweet buns baking in my Granny’s kitchen, or even better in our own, when she came to visit, or when Mom got the urge to bake.
I inherited her recipe which makes a delightful light and airy dough, a nice base to add tons of nuts, or dried fruit. Her original recipe made dozens of buns since she had to bake for her large family. This version has been halved, but still produces a large quantity. When I make buns I will use the dough to make different versions, and then freeze for later.
My Granny’s Sweet Bun Recipe
I inherited her recipe which makes a delightful light and airy dough, a nice base to add tons of nuts, or dried fruit. Her original recipe made dozens of buns since she had to bake for her large family
Servings 4 dozen buns
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. yeast
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 tbsp. vinegar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup corn oil
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 cups water
- ¼ cup cream
- 1 tsp. salt
- 6 cups unbleached all purpose flour
Instructions
- Pour ¼ cup warm water into a one cup glass measuring cup or small glass. Add 1 tsp. of sugar, but don’t stir.
- Slowly sprinkle 1 tablespoon of yeast, and again, don’t stir. Wait 10 minutes until the yeast becomes thick and foamy.
- In a bread bowl, mix the 3 cups water, 1/3 cup sugar, ¼ cup cream, 2 eggs, ½ cup corn oil and salt. When the yeast is foamy, add to the bread bowl and mix. Add 1 cup of flour to coat the dough.
- Add the rest of the flour one cup at a time, working it in after each addition with your hands. You should have a soft pliable dough.
- Turn out the dough on a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Kneading involves using the palms of your hands pressing down across the dough, picking up and repeating for at least 10minutes which is about the same time you have worked off all the pent up frustration you have been carrying around allday.
- Wash your bread bowl, dry and lightly grease with vegetable oil. Place your dough in the bowl and flip over so the top will be oiled. The dough is ready to rise. If your oven is not in use, the best place to let the dough rise in your oven.
- Place a skillet on the bottom rack and fill it with boiling water. Place the bread bowl on the rack above and close the door. You will need to let the dough rise for two hours or until doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough and place on a floured surface to roll out. Portion the dough with a dough cutter (or knife) to make a variety of traditionalEnglishsweet buns. An Abbey Cook is very skilled at multi-purposing her dough.
Notes
Cinnamon Buns
- Roll out the dough into an 8" x 10" rectangle and spread with 1/4 cup of softened butter. Sprinkle a mixture of 2/3 cup of brown sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon on the dough then roll up from the long end. Place the seam side down. Cut into 1 inch slices and place in a greased 8 x 12 baking pan. Cover with a warm towel and let rise up for 30 minutes, then bake for 25-30 minutes at 350F. Cool completely, then frost with a 5 to 1 mixture of icing sugar and milk.
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar (light brown sugar also works)
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar (light brown sugar also works)