Belgian Buns

These Belgian buns are probably one of the easiest things to make, a simple dough, filling and icing is all you need.

I’ll be honest, these should be in all bakeries. People absolutely love classic bakes and that includes these buns, so easy to make and people across all ages love them but finding a proper one in chain bakeries, yes is easy but they just don’t cut it. They’re not properly done, they’re just not the same as people remember them.

I’m not sure if this is controversial but having a thin layer of lemon curd in the rolls really makes these pop…All of the versions I have had over the years have all contained lemon curd and even the recipe we used at college did, so I’m not questioning it – it’s an essential. Not forgetting that it’s not just a plain lemon curd filling, you also have sultanas.

So, if you’re looking for a recipe thats similar to the classic Belgian buns you remember, give these a go.

Anyway, let’s get started, shall we?

 

Ingredients:

Dough:

450g strong white bread flour.

7g dried yeast.

50g granulated sugar.

1 tsp salt.

2 eggs.

50g butter.

150ml warm milk.

 

Filling –

150g lemon curd (homemade or store-bought).

180g sultanas.

 

Icing –

300g icing sugar.

4-5 tbsp water

 

Method:

Before you get started on the recipe, you’ll want to do some prep work. I like to start by weighing up all the ingredients, lining your tray with parchment paper (if you use it) and get any equipment you may need, such as a stand mixer and spatula.

To start on recipe, you’ll want to make the dough. Take your mixing bowl and place in the bread flour and the salt, mixing the two together just to combine them together.

Then you can go ahead and place in the yeast, granulated sugar, eggs, butter and milk. Then mix on a low speed for 2 minutes, then a further 4-6 minutes on a higher speed until a clear dough forms – this is where the dough almost leaves the bowl almost spotlessly clean.

Lightly flour the work surface and place the dough onto it, then knead the dough until it’s smooth and elastic. Then place into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with clingfilm and leave it somewhere warm to prove for around and hour (or until the dough has doubled in size).

Now is the ideal time to get cleaned down.

Once the dough has finished its first proving session, you can then go ahead and knock the dough back. This is the process of removing the gases that have built up in the dough during the proof. Bring the dough back into a ball shape and process the dough.

Roll the dough out into a 30x45cm rectangle – this is the ideal size for these rolls.

On top of the rolled out dough, you’ll want to add a thin layer of lemon curd – spreading it out to ensure a consistent coating is applied.

You can then top the lemon curd with the sultanas and roll the dough up – keeping the roll as tight as you can.

Take the roll and cut it into 12 equal portions and place them on to a baking tray, allowing space in between each roll as they will increase in size during the second prove.

Loosely cover with clingfilm and prove for a further 45-60 minutes (or until the rolls are well risen).

Have a quick tidy up and while you have the time, make the icing ahead of time if needed. Not forgetting to preheat your oven to 180˚c/350˚f.

The icing is really simple, it’s just icing sugar and water (I know in more traditional bakeries, you’d find a fondant topping but we don’t have this available at home, so this is the next best thing.

Into a bowl, place the icing sugar and slowly add small amounts of water, whisking them together until you have a thick set pliable icing.

Once your rolls have finished the second prove, you can go ahead and place them into your preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until a consistent golden brown colour all over.

Fresh out of the oven, they’ll smell great but don’t eat or finish them off yet. Allow them to cool fully, transferring onto a cooling rack and let cool fully.

Now that everything is done and ready, take your icing and give it a whisk together, just to bring it back to the perfect consistency. How you apply the icing is up to you but  use a piping bag and pipe it into the centre and it will flow where it wants from there but you could spoon the mixture on or drizzle it over – whichever way works best for you.

Allow the icing to set a little, then place the half glace cherry on top and you’re done.

That’s all for today guys, I hope you enjoyed. If you did, don’t forget to share this recipe with your family and friends and enjoy it. I’ll be back soon with another blog post and YouTube video, so join me then. In the meanwhile, don’t forget to check out my other social’s – Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The YouTube tutorial will be linked down below.