These buns are equally good for breakfast or with your afternoon cuppa. I just love them with a good cup of coffee.

Buttermilk & Almond Buns

INGREDIENTS

For the dough

8g easy blend yeast

200ml buttermilk

1 egg, beaten

300g ‘00’ flour

75g caster sugar

5g salt

100g butter, chilled and cubed

For the filling

150g marzipan, grated

100g butter, softened

For the topping

1 egg, beaten

100g flaked almonds

METHOD

Warm the buttermilk to just tepid and stir in the yeast until dissolved, cover and set aside for 10 minutes. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, sugar and salt. Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir the egg into the buttermilk and add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Knead the dough on a worktop lightly dusted with flour, until smooth. Place the dough into a clean bowl dusted with flour. Cover with cling film (I use a shower cap) and leave to rise in a warm place for one hour until doubled in size.

Mix the filling ingredients together.

On a worktop lightly dusted with flour roll out the dough into a 35 – 40cm circle. Spread the filling evenly over the dough, then cut the dough into 12 triangles. Roll up each triangle starting from the widest side, a bit like a croissant but without curving it. Line 2 baking trays with baking parchment and place the buns, spaced apart, on the baking trays. Cover the buns with oiled cling film and leave to rise again for 30 minutes in a warm place or until they have noticeably risen.

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan. Brush the buns with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the flaked almonds. Bake the buns for 20 – 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before serving.