With the onset of much cooler and “user friendly” temperatures, South Africans will be relieved to realise that the hottest months of the year are finally something of the past and we can look forward to a more pleasant season. At the same time, many people will experience the tickling sensation around their sweet tooth which usually tells us that winter is approaching slowly but surely.
This week - one of those highlights associated with a cooking/baking session at the Professional Cooking Academy where Kgothatso Mataboge and Lindiwe Katlego Mokgothu demonstrate how to prepare the evergreen lemon poppy buns.
Without further ado – here goes…
Ingredients
Dough:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg and 1 egg yolk
½ cup sugar
3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon packed grated lemon zest
Filling:
114 g butter, at room temperature
240 g cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Glaze:
½ cup heavy cream, at room temperature (120 grams)
1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil, melted
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 cups powdered sugar (375 grams)
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Method
For the dough:
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Add the buttermilk and warm until lukewarm. Meanwhile, place the egg and the yolk in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the sugar and whisk by hand until combined. Stream in the warmed buttermilk mixture slowly,whisking as you go. Add ½ cup of the flour, the poppy seeds, yeast, salt, and lemon zest and whisk together, using the whisk to scrape down the sides if needed. Place the bowl onto the mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment and begin to mix on low speed.
Add the remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, until it is completely absorbed. At this point, the dough will still feel sticky. Continue to knead on medium-low speed with the dough hook (or by hand on a lightly floured surface) until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape the dough from the bowl and form into a ball. Lightly oil the mixing bowl. Place the dough inside and roll it around to coat it all over. Cover with a kitchen towel. Set aside to rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
For the filling:
While the dough is rising, make the filling. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, cream cheese, sugar and salt. Fit mixer with paddle attachment and cream the mixture on medium speed until smooth. Set aside.
To assemble:
Butter and lightly flour a 20x30cm baking pan, tilting the pan to evenly coat with flour. Turn the risen dough out onto a generously floured surface. Deflate it with your hands and shape it into a rectangle. Using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough to a 25x35 cm rectangle that is about 1 ½ cm thick. Scrape all the filling into the centre of the dough and use an offset spatula to evenly spread it to the edges.
Starting at the short end, position your hands on the left and right sides, then roll the dough up as tightly and evenly as possible, ending with the seam side down. (Dough log should be about 25cm long.) Using a sharp knife (I like a serrated bread knife,) mark the dough into 9 equal pieces and then slice. Transfer the buns to the baking pan and cover with the kitchen cloth. Let proof for about 45 minutes, or until buns are about 1 ½ times larger. Bake at 180°C for 35 - 40 minutes, or until the buns are golden in colour. Cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before glazing.
