These sumptuous buns are delicious as a tear and share brunch or afternoon treat, straight from the slow cooker. Slathered with lemon glaze these really are divine. You can also bake them in the oven at 180 degrees for 25 minutes, or until golden, if you prefer.
Method
Cut the butter into cubes and place into a saucepan with the milk. Melt over a low heat.
Place the flours into a large bowl and add the yeast and sugar and salt. Add 100ml warm water to the milk and butter mixture, then beat in the eggs. Gradually add this to the dry mixture, stirring all the time, until a sticky dough forms.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled surface and knead for 10-15 minutes or until it is no longer sticky and has become smooth and elastic. Place into an oiled bowl, cover, and leave in a warm place for 1-2 hours or until the dough doubles in size. You can also prove in the fridge overnight.
To make the cinnamon filling, beat together the soft butter with the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg until it is a smooth paste. Set aside.
When the dough has risen, turn it out onto an oiled surface and fold it in on itself a couple of times to knock out any large air bubbles. Then roll it out to a large rectangle approximately 40x60cm (1.5 times as long as it is wide), getting it as thin as possible.
Use a spatula or palette knife to spread the cinnamon filling over the dough in an even layer. Then, starting at the shorter edge, tightly roll the dough up into a log. Trim the ends and divide the dough into 12 even-sized pieces. You can use a strong piece of thread to get clean cuts.
Place 6 of the rolls into the freezer for the next time you fancy some buns.
Line your slow cooker with baking paper. A 3.7 litre cooker can hold 6 rolls. You may be able to fit more with a bigger appliance.
Arrange 6 of the rolls into the bottom of the cooker pan, cover loosely, and leave for another 30 minutes in a warm place, until visibly puffier. They will stick to each other and that’s totally fine.
Cook on HIGH setting in the slow cooker for 1.5 hours, or until puffed up, cooked through, and smelling incredible.
Mix together some icing sugar and water until a fairly thick glaze is created. Add lemon if you like. Drizzle over the warm buns before serving.
Ingredients
Prep: 2-3 hrs
Cook: 1.5 hrs
Dough:
75g butter
100ml milk
250g plain flour
250g strong plain flour
7g easy bake/quick yeast
25g caster sugar
5g salt
2 eggs
Oil, for greasing
Filling:
100g butter, softened
150g dark brown soft sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
Topping (optional):
Icing sugar
Milk or water
Lemon zest (if you like)
