These simple buns have been approved by an international taste-testing team of Researchers wise to the wiley ways of buns. They're tasty for breakfast or with a good cup of tea, easy to make, not too sweet, and won't break the bank. This recipe makes one dozen small buns, but can be doubled if you're sharing with lots of delighted co-diners rather than keeping them all for yourself!

The Things You'll Need

• The yeast dough
  • white flour - about 300g or 2½ cups
  • 1 sachet yeast¹
  • 1 sachet vanilla sugar plus 2 tablespoons white sugar
    – or –
    3 tablespoons white sugar and some vanilla
  • dash of salt
  • 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil
  • 1 egg
  • milk - you'll probably need slightly less than a glassful

• The nutty filling
  • ground hazelnuts - about 100g or 1¼ cups ground
  • 3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • soft brown sugar - about 100g or ½ cup
  • 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, at least!
  • dash of rum², or if you're not feeling piratey³, apple juice

And What To Do With Them

Mix the dry ingredients⁴ for the dough, add the egg and the oil, and then add the milk a few tablespoons at a time until the dough is moist enough to be soft but kneadable. Knead well and leave in a warm, draft-free place to rise for an hour or two.
An oven with just the light on works well, or an oven that's been briefly heated and then turned off.

To make the filling, grind the hazelnuts in a food processor or use ready-ground ones for less taste but more convenience. Empty into a mixing bowl, add the sugar, butter, and cinnamon, and stir until mixed, then add just enough rum or apple juice to make a thick, but spreadable paste.

When the dough has risen, knead it again and separate into two halves. Roll out one portion on a floured countertop or cutting board to about the size of a sheet of typing paper, use the back of a spoon to spread evenly with one half of the filling, and roll up from the narrow side. Cut into six equal pieces. Repeat for the other half of the dough and filling.

Put the pieces cut side down on a baking sheet covered with parchment, or make them in oiled muffin tins for perfectly round buns. Let them rise briefly while you preheat the oven, then bake at 200° C (400° F, Gas Mark 6) for approximately 19 minutes and 23 seconds. Best served warm and fresh, but any leftovers can be kept in a tin for several days without going stale or losing much flavour, and they travel well.

Variations

Both the dough and the filling are almost infinitely variable, but here are a few ideas:

For an alibi healthy bun, use half white, half wholemeal flour. You can use soda bread dough instead of the yeast dough if you're in a hurry - or simply use your favourite bread dough, slightly sweetened, to suit any diet or preference. The dough can be made in a breadmaker, if you're lazy. If you prefer a soft bun, put them close together in a cake pan to bake.

Experiment with different types of nuts for the filling - almonds and walnuts are nice, but peanuts can be a bit strange. Substitute nut butters for the dairy butter for an even nuttier taste! You can also add raisins or other dried fruit, chocolate pieces, or different spices. Omit the nuts entirely and use 200g of brown sugar for plain cinnamon buns.

If soft brown sugar isn't available⁵, mix fine white sugar with a spoonful or two of molasses, treacle, or honey. That's how it's made commercially these days, anyway.

As they are, the buns freeze well, are easy to transport without getting everything sticky, and can be eaten on the go and without utensils - but if you find them too dry or not indulgent enough, they can be glazed with sugar icing after baking. Pour it over the buns while they're still hot and return them to the oven briefly to dry the glaze and soften the dough.