Cream Buns
Growing up, my absolute favourite bakery treat was something we call a “Kitchener Bun”. Native to South Australia, this deep-fried sweet bread is covered in sugar and filled with the most divine whipped cream and jam.
Every time we would cross the border into SA, I remember the joy of waiting for that 12o’clock lunch stop. I’d press my face against the glass in that bakery shop in Burra, and my eyes would bulge at the many sweet pastries, pies and tarts - only to stop on the tray of Kitchener’s. I think mum had long before then realised she had created a monster by introducing me to these. Especially when she looked in the revision mirror on the way out of Burra, a mess of cream, sugar, jam and curly brown hair peering back at her. Ah - the good days!
This brings me to today’s recipe! No, this is not one for the infamous Kitchener Bun but for their long-lost cousin. The dough is different and the outside doesn’t have the sugar coating that the Kitchener is known for but the concept is very similar.
Cream filling with jam, a soft delicious sweet bun and a reputation for making dreams come true - I present to thee, the cream bun! Now, I realise that I have talked more about the Kitchener than I have about cream buns but that’s because this is a much more “home-friendly” recipe. Forget deep-frying, we’re oven-ing these buns because you know me - at all time very conscientious as to the healthiness of my recipes… *cough
So if you’re feeling something a little fancier for afternoon tea, then I urge you to give these a try. You can’t go wrong!
Cream Buns
Ingredients
- 7g yeast
- 600g plain flour
- 55g caster sugar
- 125ml warm milk
- 1tsp mixed spice
- 90g butter - room temperature
- 250ml warm water
- 1 tbsp milk - extra
- 30g apricot jam
- 1-3tsp hot water
- 300ml thickened cream
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 3tbsp icing sugar
- 100g strawberry jam
Instructions
- Whisk to combine yeast, flour, caster sugar and mixed spice in the large bowl of a stand mixer. Add the butter and toss through to cover evenly with the flour mixture.
- Add the warm milk and water to the bowl. Knead on low until a dough forms, continue kneading for about 10 minutes or until the dough is soft, smooth and elastic. Roll into a large ball, place back into the greased bowl and set aside to rise for approximately 1 hour or until almost doubled in size.
- Divide the dough into 12 individual portions. Roll into balls and place evenly spaced onto 2 large oven trays lined with baking paper. Cover trays and place somewhere warm to rise again for 45minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 220°C.
- Brush the buns lightly with the extra milk. Bake for 5 minutes. Reduce oven to 180°C and bake for a further 10 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Meanwhile, lightly heat apricot jam in a small heatproof dish in the microwave. Add 1tsp of water to help loosen the glaze. Brush hot buns liberally with the jam glaze and allow to cool completely.
- To make filling, add cream to the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk on high until soft peaks form. Add the icing sugar a spoonful at a time. More or less can be added to achieve your level of sweetness. Continue to whisk until stiff peaks and stir through vanilla. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a medium star tip.
- Slice the buns horizontally and spread an even layer of strawberry jam across one half. Pipe a layer of cream and top with remaining bun half.
- Finish with a dusting of icing sugar and serve immediately. They can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.