Nadolig llawen
Orange and caraway morning buns recipe
It’s been a busy few weeks in the Welsh Kitchen but I was determined to get you an issue and a recipe before Christmas. I can’t quite believe that the new year will signify three years of the newsletter. Thank you for all your support over the last three years, and particularly the lovely messages you send me. I’m hoping to add some new bits to the newsletter next year, so watch this space. And if there are any Welsh recipes that you want me to try, research or update then let me know.
I’ll leave you with this Christmas story once again – as it’s one of my faves.
Nadolig llawen, Merry Christmas and see you in 2024!
Cariad mawr,
Ross
The Recipe
Orange and caraway morning buns
I rather like something a bit sweet for breakfast, and these morning swirl buns fit the bill. They are a version of a classic Chelsea bun, which to my mind are becoming increasingly difficult to find in bakeries. They were always a staple of South Wales bakeries when I was growing up.
These buns are laced with caraway and dried fruit – two ingredients that crop up again and again in old Welsh recipes. I love the ever-so-subtle aniseed flavour of caraway, and combined with the mixed spice, dried fruit and soft, pillowy dough, it makes a winning combo.
Ingredients (makes 9)
For the dough:
500g plain flour
7g sachet quick action yeast
50g sugar
1 tsp salt
200ml milk, gently warmed
75g Welsh butter, softened
1 egg
1 tbsp caraway seeds
Zest 2 oranges
Zest 1 lemon
Oil/butter for greasing
For the filling:
50g butter, softened
50g soft brown sugar
2 tsp mixed spice
75g mixed fruit
75g mixed peel
For the topping:
1 tbsp marmalade
Demerara sugar (optional)
Method
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add the milk, butter, egg, caraway seeds and the zest. Mix thoroughly together until a you have a dough.
Knead the dough on a floured surface for 10 minutes. You can do all of this in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook if you like.
Place the kneaded dough in a clean bowl greased with oil. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove for an hour. It should have doubled in size.
Meanwhile, grease a large cake tin with butter.
Dust a surface with flour and tip out the proved dough. Roll out the dough into a large rectangle about 2cm thick.
Gently spread over the softened butter, then scatter the brown sugar, mixed spice and dried fruit and peel.
Roll the dough towards you from the long edge into a tight sausage. Cut into nine pieces with a sharp knife.
Place the rolls swirl-side-up into the prepared cake tin. Cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for an hour.
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5/400°F/200°C. Bake the now risen (fingers crossed!) buns for about half an hour until they are golden on top.
Gently loosen the marmalade with a drop of hot water and brush it all over the tops of the buns, then sprinkle with the Demerara sugar.
When cool, tear them apart and enjoy. Any stale ones (if they last that long), can be sliced in half, toasted and buttered in classic Welsh style.
If you try the recipe out, don’t forget to tag any photos with #mywelshkitchen.
The Playlist
To me, cooking and music go hand in hand, whether that’s singing at the top of your voice using a wooden spoon as a microphone while waiting for pasta to boil, or dancing around with the oven gloves on as the oven timer counts down. Here are this week’s ideas for your Welsh Kitchen playlist.
Nos Galan by Huw Rhys-Evans and Ieuan Jones
Baby It’s Cold Outside by Tom Jones and Cerys Matthews
