Saffron is an interesting spice that colours whatever you put it in with a rich yellow colour and gives it an exotic earthy flavour.
These buns are quite frankly LUSH...
300ml/10 fl oz whole milk
½ g/large pinch saffron
75g/2 1/2 oz unsalted butter, cut into cubes
500g/17 1/2 oz strong white bread flour
100g/3 1/2 oz golden caster sugar
7g (heaped teaspoon) sachet fast-action yeast
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
Put the milk in a small pan and gently heat until it’s steaming.
Use a pestle and mortar to grind the saffron into a powder. Add this to the pan of milk along with the butter. Swirl to melt the butter, then set aside until lukewarm.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, caster sugar, 1 tsp salt and the yeast together, and make a well in the middle of the bowl. Pour in the milk mixture along with the egg. Mix together to form a sticky dough, then turn out onto the work surface and knead until smooth and elastic (this will take about 10 mins). Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with oiled cling film. Set the bowl in a warm part of the house and allow to rise for about 1 hr until doubled in size.
Knock back the dough and divide into 12 equal portions. Although I like to make 9 and have huge buns!
Place the buns on a large (or 2 smaller) parchment-lined baking tray. Once all the buns are made, lightly cover with oiled cling film and prove until almost doubled in size.
While the buns prove, heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Put the trays in the oven and bake for around 15 mins.
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