Gulab jamun inspired sticky buns
(makes 8)
It’s starting to feel very autumnal and this is the time when I start making some comfort bakes like the flavoured rolls or buns. It could be cardamom or cinnamon buns or chocolate rolls but mostly it is the sticky buns as its something we all love in our family.
We have just celebrated Diwali and also just finished this years ‘Great British Bake Off‘ so I thought if I could somehow make something, which is a show stopping bake and inspired by one of my favourite Indian sweets Gulab Jamun then I am onto a winner.
And the best place to get all my ingredients in one stop is Sainsbury’s. They have a pretty extensive range of baking ingredients and I can get everything I need in one shop.
So here are my Gulab jamun inspired –
‘Cardamom, rose and pistachio sticky buns’
For the buns
225 gms plain flour
30 gms caster sugar
pinch of salt
25 gms unsalted softened butter
1 large egg
4 gms dried fast action yeast
75 ml whole milk
1 tsp ground cardamom
For the filling
75 gms softened unsalted butter
40 gms caster sugar
20 gms pistachio, finely chopped
For the syrup
60 ml maple syrup
60 gms unsalted very soft butter
20 gms dark brown soft sugar
20 gms pistachios, finely chopped
1/4 tsp rose syrup
Start by making the dough and put the flour, sugar, salt, yeast and cardamom in a bowl and mix with a spoon. Lightly whisk the egg and add it to the flour and then slowly add the milk and bring it together into a dough.
Place it on a clean surface and knead it for 5 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth. Put it in a bowl and cover with a damp tea towel and let it rest for 1 or 2 hours until the dough has doubled in size.
In a bowl make the syrup by combining maple syrup, butter, sugar and rose syrup and mix it all well. Spread it on a 10 inch cake tin, try and use a fixed bottom tin and not a loose bottom one otherwise the caramel will leak. Then spread the pistachios on top.
Roll the dough into a rectangle roughly 25 cm x 35cm and then spread the butter on top. Now sprinkle the sugar and then the pistachio pieces and start rolling from the long side like a swiss roll. Divide it into 7-8 portions and place them in a circle shape in the prepared tin.
Cover with a damp tea towel and let it rest for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 180 C and bake this for 25 minutes or until golden and cooked.
Leave it for 2 seconds and then straight away turn it out on a serving plate. If you leave it in the tin for long it will get stuck to the tin so remove it immediately. Enjoy it warm and fresh.
Hi, I’m Nomu from Japan. I really liked your recipe, but I am not sure where and when I put the butter for the buns?
Could you, please, explain me a little but more detailed?
I’m not Chetna but if you look at the pictures and read the instructions, butter is used in two places. Once in the syrup, which you pour on the bottom of your baking pan.
The other place you use butter is as in the picture. After you have risen the dough the first time and roll it out, you spread butter all over the flat dough. On top of that you put sugar and pistachios. Then you roll it up. I hope this helps.
I have made these twice now. The first time I just left the butter out of the bun its self and the second time I worked it into the dry ingredients as crumbs before adding the wet ingredients. Both seemed to turn out great :).
Butter in mentioned in the ingredients list for the dough/buns but in the instructions to make the dough for the buns there is no mention of butter. So while making the dough do you add the butter or you don’t add the butter? And how is the butter meant to be added? Melted?