Name: Apple spice buns
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 500 gm plain flour (31/3 cups); 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced, plus 1 extra, unpeeled; 40 gm brown sugar; 30 gm dried apple, diced; 30 gm glacé orange, diced; 10 gm dried yeast; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp mixed spice; ½ tsp finely grated nutmeg; Finely grated rind and juice of 1 orange; 60 gm butter, diced; 200 ml milk; 1 egg, lightly beaten; Butter, melted, for brushing; Caster sugar, for dusting; Vanilla glaze; 70 gm caster sugar; Scraped seeds of ½ vanilla bean

Apple spice buns

Fragrant with spice and studded with both fresh and dried apple, these sticky glazed buns are perfect served with salted butter, or even with the contrast of a crumbly vintage cheddar.

Six round apple buns on baking paper on a metal tray, held by a woman's hands painted with black nail polish

Serves 10

Prep

40M

Cook

20M

Total

Fragrant with spice and studded with both fresh and dried apple, these sticky glazed buns are perfect served with salted butter, or even with the contrast of a crumbly vintage cheddar. In any case, they’re best eaten hot from the oven. Just try to stop yourself.

Ingredients

500 gm plain flour (31/3 cups)

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced, plus 1 extra, unpeeled

40 gm brown sugar

30 gm dried apple, diced

30 gm glacé orange, diced

10 gm dried yeast

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spice

½ tsp finely grated nutmeg

Finely grated rind and juice of 1 orange

60 gm butter, diced

200 ml milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

Butter, melted, for brushing

Caster sugar, for dusting

Vanilla glaze

70 gm caster sugar

Scraped seeds of ½ vanilla bean

Method

Main

1.Combine flour, apple, sugar, dried and glacé fruits, yeast, spices, rind and 1 tsp salt in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, and mix on low speed to combine. Heat butter and orange juice in a small saucepan over low heat until butter melts, add milk and warm to blood temperature. Remove from heat, then whisk in egg. Add milk mixture to flour mixture and knead until smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes; dough will be quite soft). Place in a lightly buttered bowl, cover and stand in a warm place until doubled in size (50 minutes to 1 hour).

2.Knock back dough, divide into 10 even pieces, then roll each piece into a smooth ball and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper, leaving about 5cm between each. Cover with a tea towel and stand in a warm place until doubled in size (30-40 minutes).

3.Preheat oven to 220C. Halve extra apple, then thinly slice on a mandolin into 10 slices and discard seeds. Brush the tops of buns lightly with water, place a slice of apple on each, then brush the apple with melted butter and scatter with sugar. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce oven to 200C and bake until buns are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped (8-10 minutes).

4.For vanilla glaze, stir sugar, vanilla seeds and 70ml water in a small saucepan over medium heat to dissolve sugar, bring to a simmer, then brush glaze over buns. Serve buns warm or at room temperature on the day of baking, with butter for spreading.