These Iced Buns are absolutely to die for. They are old school milky soft with a divine sweet icing. Be prepared to inhale at least two...
This is a recipe that is nostalgic and more than a bit retro to me. These are the iced buns of my childhood or more accurately my school canteen. This is a Paul Hollywood recipe. Simply incredibly delicious and as good now as then.
I've recently developed another retro school classic with this Chocolate Cracknell recipe. I love the oldies, but I digress.
The baking of your own buns always is a mood lifter although a bit of a stomach sagger too. It's worth it though fellow bun bakers.
You feel ever so proud as your bronzed beauties burnish, plus your kitchen smells like a real life actual bakery you domestic goddess you.
This recipe gives a sweet, soft bun that tastes incredible even without the icing.
*Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full printable recipe card with exact ingredients and instructions.*
Ingredients
500 grams (4 cups) strong white bread flour
50 grams (0.25 cups) caster sugar
40 grams (0.2 cups) unsalted butter
2 large eggs
2 x 7 grams instant yeast
1 and a half tsp salt
150 mls lukewarm milk
100 mls water
Iced Buns Recipe Steps
- Empty out all the ingredients into the mixing bowl keeping the salt and yeast on opposite sides. I pour the liquids in last.
- I use a free standing mixer and dough hook to make this as the dough is sticky. Although you could use a large mixing bowl and a wooden spoon followed by kneading for 10 minutes on a work surface until smooth and elastic. It is a lot easier with a mixer because of the stickiness.
- If using the mixer mix the dough until it becomes less sticky and starts to come away from the sides of the bowl. This does take time. About 5-8 minutes on a medium speed.
- Once the dough is smooth and elastic then cover and leave it in a clean, oiled bowl somewhere warm to double in size.
- After knocking back I use scales to divide equally into 12 balls. It's usually about 80 grams/2.8 oz per ball.
- If the dough is still sticky then flour the surface and your hands. It makes a whole heap of difference. Tap the excess dough off before you roll the dough in your hands.
- I roll and these into balls but you could shape into finger roll shapes-what ever suits you sir. I place them a good 2 cm apart covered on a lined or oiled baking tray and wait about 30 mins for them to puff up proudly. See here for a rolling demo.
- They will puff up about 50 % again.
- Bake for 10 mins until a middle brown colour and hollow sounding when tapped on their bottoms, leave to cool on a wire rack.
- Mix the icing ingredients together until smooth. The icing may need adjusting (more icing sugar/water) to get the right consistency, it should be a really thick paste.
- When the buns are cool dip them in the icing and leave back on the wire rack to set.
Baking Tips and Tricks
- I make these with fresh yeast too. I use 34 grams crumbled in just as if it was instant dried yeast.
- Flour the working surface when rolling the dough if it is too sticky. Flour your fingers a little too when rolling the buns.
- Add more water or icing sugar to adjust the consistency of the icing. Only add ½ tsp of water at a time as it goes a very long way when mixed with icing sugar.
- Don't over bake the buns as it can make all the difference. Not too much colour on the buns.
- Use an independent oven thermometer to accurately monitor your oven temperature.
- To make them gluten free then substitute the strong bread flour for a gluten free version such as those on Shipton Mill.
- These are best eaten on the day they are baked.
- Can you freeze Iced Buns? Yes you can freeze them for up to two months. Freeze double wrapped and thaw at room temperature before icing.
Here are some more enriched dough classic recipes -
Iced Buns
Ingredients
- 500 g strong white flour
- 50 g of caster sugar
- 40 g unsalted butter softened
- 2 large free range eggs beaten
- 2 + 7g sachets of instant yeast
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 150 ml of lukewarm milk
- 100 ml of water
Icing
- 200 grams icing sugar
- 3 tbsp water can use milk instead
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220 C.
- Place 500 grams strong bread flour, 50 grams caster sugar, 40 grams unsalted butter, 2 large free range eggs (beaten), 2 x 7 grams sachet instant yeast and 1 ½ tsp fine salt in the bowl. Add 150 mls of luke warm milk and 100 mls water to the dry ingredients.
- I do this in a food mixer but you can do it by hand. If using a dough hook and mixer then mix on a medium speed for about 8 mins. The dough is sticky but will begin to come away from the sides cleanly towards the end of the mixing. If mixing by hand then tip out onto a work surface once the dough has come together and knead for about 10 minutes.
- Once the dough is smooth and elastic then put in a clean lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp tea towel or clingfilm and place somewhere warm for about an hour or doubled in size.
- Knock the dough down and then divide into 12. I measure the lot and then work out what each bun should weigh. About 75/80 grams each.
- I roll these into balls but you could shape into finger roll shapes-what ever suits you sir. Place a good 2 cm apart on a lined or oiled baking tray. Cover with damp tea towel or oiled clingfilm and leave somewhere warm to puff up for about 30 mins.
- Bake for 10 mins until a middle brown colour and hollow when tapped on the bottom, leave to cool on a wire rack.
- Mix the Icing ingredients vigorously together in a bowl until it forms a thickish paste and dip the buns. Place back on the wire rack to set.
- Apply to Zitty Face.
Notes
- Flour the working surface when rolling the dough if it is too sticky.
- Add more water or icing sugar to adjust the consistency of the icing. Only add ½ tsp of water at a time as it goes a very long way when mixed with icing sugar.
- Don't over bake the buns as it can make all the difference.
- Use an independent oven thermometer to accurately monitor your oven temperature.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is approximate and intended only as a guide.
Do let me know how you get on in the recipe comments below. Or tag me in social media. Here are my Facebook and Instagram pages people. Would love to see you over there.
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Jhuls
These look amazing! It's been a while since I made buns. Thanks for sharing and for stopping by my blog so I could find you. Looking forward to following your blog. 🙂
Debbie
hahaha - giggling at this story, I remember something vaguely similar at one of my school discos. These buns look great though, not had one in ages! That definitely needs to be rectified:-)
Thanks for stopping my blog as well 🙂
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They are so simple to do if you have a mixer with a dough hook and one of the most delicious things I have ever made.Seriously lush xx
Agness of Run Agness Run
Great recipe, I absolutely love these buns! Super easy to prepare, and a joy to taste!
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Thanks Agnes.They are super seriously good!
Life Love and Dirty Dishes
I haven't thought about "Forever" in forever! It was the teenage bible! Thanks for a trip down memory lane and those hideously awkward moments. Thanks for linking up to #FridayFrolics
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I know!I'd forgotten all about it too until I was having a reminisce!It blew me completely away at the time.I even think it was banned at our school!How times have changed x
Victoria Morris
I think the humble iced bun is an overlooked treat! I love them, but have never made my own. Time to change that, I think!
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Honestly I cannot convey how good they are.One of my top 3 recipes ever.You won't regret it!x
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain
I love your stories Jenny, they always have me chuckling 🙂 Absolutely great bake too, I've not had an iced bun for years - you've mae me want to go out any buy one (ok three now! - sorry can't actually make your recipe with a dodgey wrist sadly!)
Angela x
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Oh no!Hope you recover soon.This recipe blows me away every time.Trouble is There are too many in a batch and I can eat 4 easy peasy!xx
Balvinder
They look amazingly soft. Definitely the recipe I want to try for my family 🙂
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Thanks Balvinder,they seriously are delicious,one of my fave recipes of all time x
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins
What a great story and oooh what lovely buns! I haven't made iced buns in such a long time. Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
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Thanks Kirsty,I can't stop making them...for the kids of course!!xx
Silly Mummy
Haha - I don't even remember mine! Must have been good! I did become less confident over time, however, which I think was moving in the wrong direction! In Primary school, I was quite popular and had quite a few 'boyfriends', by secondary school I was very shy and avoided everyone! Most of my friends were boys as a teenager, so I actually could talk to boys very easily - I just didn't even attempt to deal with the fear associated with anything else! Thanks so much for joining us for #FridayFrolics
The Mum Project (@mumproject)
Love your story about the first kiss! Mine was in a fort, I think I was thirteen or fourteen and he had braces! YUCK. He wanted to be girlfriend/boyfriend but I wasn't into it hahaha. I remember my first boyfriend and I never even spoke to each other lol. It must have been really different at an all girls school, I can totally imagine your handsome tubby, I know the type! Thanks so much for sharing with #stayclassymama!
Corina Blum
My family would really love these iced buns! In fact, they'd probably love them too much and keep asking me to make them again and again!
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I can't resist them either!
Cat | Curly's Cooking
I can imagine these are delicious and soft. Such a tasty treat!
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Thank you! They so are!
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Thanks Cat!
Rosemary
My goodness these look delicious! I love iced buns and if you make them yourself they would be super-fresh and super-tasty.
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So soft! That's the bit that gets me every time!
Janice Pattie
You know, I've never actually made iced buns and I do love them so. thanks for this recipe, I'm going to give them a try.
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They're so good Janice x
Chloe Edges
I'd happily eat your buns any day of the week.
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Theyre my favourite sweet treat...apart from yum yums..oh and danish pastries....doughnuts and eclairs.x
louise Gunstone
These are a dirty secret pleasure of mine, except I sneak down to our local shop and buy one from them to have with my afternoon cup of tea. But now, I will expose my secret to the family and try your recipe... thanks!
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Be loud and proud about your buns!!
Veronica
Oh I could do with one of those right now. I love the sweetness of the icing with the softness of the bun. Ymmmy!
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Thank you Veronica!