Classic iced buns are a staple of bakeries everywhere, but making your own homemade version is not only more rewarding, but it tastes even better too!
Although it only takes half an hour to prepare this recipe, you'll need to set aside around an hour and a half for the dough to rise before then separating into 12 portions.
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Yields:
12 serving(s)
Prep Time:
30 mins
Cook Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
50 mins
Cal/Serv:
292
Ingredients
125ml
milk
250g
strong white flour, plus extra to dust
250g
plain flour
7g
sachet fast-action dried yeast
50g
caster sugar
50g
unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
1
medium egg, beaten
For the icing
250g
icing sugar
Directions
Step 1
Heat milk and 75ml water until hot but not boiling. Set aside to cool until lukewarm. Sift flours into a large bowl and stir in yeast, sugar and 1tsp fine salt. Make a well in centre and add butter, egg and milk mixture to well. Mix to a soft dough.
Step 2
Tip on to a work surface lightly dusted with flour (reserving bowl) and knead for 10min until smooth and elastic. Form into a ball. Lightly grease cleaned-out bowl with butter, add dough and cover with greased clingfilm. Leave in a warm place to rise until dough has doubled in size – about 1½ hr.
Step 3
Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Punch down dough in bowl and divide into 12 equal pieces (weigh for best results). Shape each piece into a 10cm (4in) long sausage. Arrange on lined sheet in two rows of six, spacing about 1.5cm ( in) apart.
Step 4
Cover again with greased clingfilm (butter-side down) and leave to prove for 45min or until puffed (buns should be touching).
Step 5
Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Uncover buns and bake for 12-15min until risen and golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Step 6
Sift icing sugar into a bowl and mix in just enough water (about 1½ – 2tbsp) until just spreadable. When cool, tear buns apart and spread or pipe (with a flat nozzle) icing on to buns. Leave to set before serving.
Struggling to find a warm space in your house? Try placing it in a utility closet or if you have a smart oven, some even have a dough proving temperature to speed up the process.
We love slicing the buns open and slathering over our favourite jam before finishing with the icing on top. All that's left to do is boil the kettle, make your favourite cup of tea and enjoy a freshly baked bun with friends or family for a comforting afternoon tea.
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An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
