Strawberry Buns
I love a good cinnamon roll. For some reason I never imagined them any other way. I realized though, that with a good basic roll recipe, the filling options are endless.
I used Paula Deen’s recipe for the dough portion (Cinnamon Rolls Recipe). I have to say, this dough turned out amazing. I followed the recipe for that part to a T. The texture was just what I was hoping for. They were fluffy with the right touch of chewiness.
For the filling, I used my favorite strawberry jam.
I found the strawberry jam to be quite mild in the rolls- I couldn’t really taste the strawberry. I plan on making these again only I will make my own filling. It could have been the brand I used, I don’t really know. But I think a homemade jam would really elevate this. Or at the very least adding in some fresh or dried strawberries.
Strawberry Buns
These fluffy, sweet strawberry buns are perfect for the spring. Perfect to serve at your next brunch or for whenever you want something sweet to enjoy with your cup of coffee.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1/4 oz active yeast 1 package
- 1/2 cup warm water aim for between 90 & 105 degrees
- 1/2 cup scalded milk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 3.5 cups flour You may not end up using all of this
Icing
- 1 tbsp melted butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla I used a splash, which I guess is about 1/2 tsp
- 3-6 tbsp hot water
- 1 tsp lemon zest more or less, to your liking
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice more or less, to your liking
Filing
- 1 cup strawberry jam This is eye-balled, I just spread as much as I thought looked like enough. You want a thick layer.
Instructions
-
Combine the yeast & warm water in a small bowl & set aside to proof for a few minutes until foamy/bubbly. You know it's done when a layer of foam has developed.
-
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, salt & the egg. Mix together.
-
Slowly add in the melted butter, stirring constantly. You don't want the egg to cook so be slow.
-
Slowly add in the scalded milk. It is very important to do this slowly & constantly stir, because again, you do not want the egg to cook.
-
Stir in 2 cups of flour.
-
Stir in the proofed yeast.
-
Add in the remaining flour, starting with 1 cup then adding in 1/4-1/2 cup at a time if needed. I only added in 1 additional cup. I found that is all I needed. I set the last 1/2 cup aside to use for the kneading.
-
Once roughly mixed (it will get hard to mix with a spoon at this point), dump the contents of the bowl onto a clean, floured surface.
-
Knead for 5 minutes.
-
Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a towel & place in a warm place.
-
Let the dough rise for 1.5 hours. It should double in size.
-
When the dough has doubled, punch down into the dough with your fist.
-
Place dough on a floured surface and roll it out in to a rectangle, 13 inches by 8 inches.
-
Spread a thick layer of the jam, then roll it up.
-
Slice into about 12 pieces with a very sharp knife, gently.
-
Grease a 13 inch deep baking dish with butter and sprinkle in sugar on the bottom.
-
Place the slices of buns in the pan, leaving no more than an inch space between them.
-
Set aside & let rise again, for 30-45 minutes.
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
-
Bake buns for about 30-40 minutes, until golden on top.
-
While they are cooling, in a small bowl, stir together the melted butter & powdered sugar.
-
Stir in the vanilla extract.
-
Stir in the hot water 1 TBSP at a time until you get the consistency close to syrup.
-
Stir in the lemon zest & lemon juice if you choose to do so. Don't go too heavy on the lemon though otherwise it will over power the entire thing. Start off with a little bit & add more if you think it needs more.
-
Pour the icing over the buns & serve warm.
