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Treat yourself to these delicious Belgian buns! They are perfectly soft on the inside and sweet and sticky on the outside. Top these buns with a fresh homemade glaze, cherries and serve them for breakfast, dessert, as a snack and during Easter.
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About this Recipe
Add these delicious, sweet and sticky Belgian buns to your next dessert menu! They are surprisingly simple to make and only require a few easy-to-find ingredients. The smell of these buns baking in the oven is enough to have everyone lining up, you'll soon forget all about the buns from your local bakery! I like to serve these buns on Sundays and during Easter with my special Easter Cake.
Belgian bunsare round or square-shapedsweet bunsthat contain raisins/sultanasand are topped withicingand cherries. They can be served with cream too.
Despite the name, the origin of the Belgian buns is unknown. However, Belgium does produce a similar specialty with less icing known as a rozijnenkoek or couque suisse.
Belgian Bun Ingredients
- Milk: In this recipe warm milk will be combined with yeast and sugar to help the dough rise.
- Plain flour: Is used to make the dough.
- Fast yeast: Or instant yeast is the yeast of choice for this recipe. It can be found in supermarkets and online.
- Unsalted butter: Is melted and combined with other ingredients to make the dough.
- Egg: Is used a rasing agent.
- Sugar: Adds sweetness to the bun.
- Orange extract: Adds a delicious citrusy flavor to the bun.
- Lemon curd or fruit curd: Is used to fill the bun.
- Raisins or sultanas: Add a burst of sweetness to this delcicous dessert. The fresher better.
- Lemon zest: Adds citrusy flavors again.
- Ground cinnamon: Don't forget the cinnamon as it will add a sweet woody flavor to the recipe.
- Sweet water for greasing buns: This is a mixture of sugar and water which is used to grease the buns before baking.
Belgian Bun Glaze
- Icing sugar: Use this fine sugar to make the glaze for the Belgian buns.
- Lemon juice: Combine lemon juice with icing sugar to make glaze.
- Glazed cherries for decoration: Don't forget to top these buns with cherries on top!
How to Make Easy Belgian Buns
- Grab a large bowl and combine yeast, warm milk (up to 37 degrees), flour and sugar. Stir the ingredients well, leave the bowl to sit in a warm place and allow the yeast to react with the sugar for about 15-20 minutes. There should be foam on the surface of the milk, which means the yeast has been activated.
Tip: Make sure the milk is warm and not too hot or cold as this will affect the yeast.
2. Pour melted butter, egg, orange extract, sugar, and sifted plain flour into the bowl with the yeast mixture. Then mix the ingredients together and knead the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it to rise in a warm place for an hour.
Tip: If the dough is too sticky, then add a little more flour. Be careful not to add too much flour as you don't want the dough to become too dense.
3. While the dough rises, add soft seedless raisins, cinnamon powder and lemon zest to a bowl of lemon or fruit curd and mix everything together well.
Belgian Buns Filling
Preheat the oven at 180C/360F for about 20 minutes. Once the dough has increased in size by 2-3 times, transfer it to a table and roll it into a flat layer. Spread the curd mixture on the layer and leave the edges free. Roll the dough firmly and press down the edges to prevent unrolling. Cut the roll into equal-sized pieces. Each piece should be about 2-3 cm thick.
Tip: At this stage you can use any curd of your choice. A common choice is lemon curd.
4. Place the dough swirl side up on silicone or Teflon mat or baking paper and lay each roll 2-3 cm apart. Then grease the buns with the water and sugar mixture. To make the mixture, mix 50 ml of water with 1 teaspoon of sugar.
Tip: If you are using baking paper then grease it with a little butter or olive oil to prevent the buns from sticking to it.
5. Bake buns in a hot oven for about 20 minutes. While the buns are baking, combine the icing sugar and lemon juice then glaze the hot rolls and place half of the glazed cherries on top.
6. While the buns are baking, combine the icing sugar and lemon juice. Once the Belgian buns are ready, glaze them immediately with the icing sugar mixture and add the cherries on top. Serve these delicious Belgian buns as dessert, for breakfast or Easter.
Easy Belgian Bun Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Yeast: Instant yeast also known asfast-acting yeastor quick-rise yeast is dry. It helps baked goods to rise quickly. When using instant yeast check the expiration date and make sure it has not expired. If it has then the dough will not rise. In addition, combine the yeast with warm water to activate the yeast. If the water is too hot then the yeast will die and if the water is too cold it will not be activated and the dough will not rise.
- Dough: Once you have kneaded the dough it should have a slightly, smooth and elastic texture. Check that it is not too wet and sticky or dense and dry. Also, ensure that you leave the dough to rise in a warm place for the best results.
- Glaze: Add the glaze to the buns when they are fresh out of the oven.
- Raisins or sultanas: add less or more depending on your preference.
FAQs
What's the difference between a Chelsea bun and a Belgian bun?
A Belgian bun is a sweet bun made from dough, sultanas, icing and cherries. While Chelsea buns are a traditional British dessert made fromyeast dough, currants, brown sugar, and butter.
What are the ingredients for Belgian buns?
Belgian buns are typically made with plain four, yeast, sugar, milk, butter, eggs, lemon curd, sultanas and a glaze.
What is the yellow stuff in a Belgian bun?
The "yellow stuff" in Belgian buns is lemon curd. Lemon curd is a sweet lemon-flavored topping or spread that is used in baking. There are lots of different curd flavors. For example, passion fruit, blueberry and mango curd.
Can I freeze Belgian buns?
Yes, you can freeze Belgian buns. Make sure you freeze the buns without the glaze and add the glaze when serving.
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Easy Belgian Bun Recipe
Jen Sim
Treat yourself to these delicious Belgian buns! They are perfectly soft on the inside and sweet and sticky on the outside. Top these buns with a fresh homemade glaze, cherries and serve as breakfast, dessert, a snack or during Easter.
5 from 10 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Belgian
Keyword: Belgian bun, bun, dessert, Easter dessert, Easy Belgian bun
Prep Time: 1 hour hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 5 people
Author: Jen Sim
Equipment
Baking tray/Silicon/Teflon mat
Large Bowl
Ingredients
- 100 ml Milk
- 275 g Plain flour
- 7 g Fast/quick yeast
- 60 g Unsalted butter
- 1 Egg
- 50 g Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Orange extract
- 50 g Lemon curd
- 2-3 tablespoon Raisins/Sultanas
- 1 tablespoon Lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
For glaze
- 3 tablespoon Sweet water for greasing buns
- 5 tablespoon Icing sugar
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- Glazed cherries for decoration
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine yeast, warm milk (up to 37 degrees), three tablespoons of flour and a spoonful of sugar. Stir well and leave the bowl in a warm place and allow the yeast to react with the sugar. After 15-20 minutes, foam will appear on the surface of the milk, which means the yeast is being activated.
Add melted butter, egg, orange extract, sugar, and sifted plain flour into the bowl with the yeast mixture. Then knead the dough. If the dough is too sticky, then add a little more flour. But make sure the dough is not too dense. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for an hour.
Meanwhile, add soft seedless raisins, cinnamon powder and lemon zest to a bowl of fruit curd and mix everything well.
Preheat oven at 180C/360F for about 20 minutes. Once the dough has increased in size by 2-3 times, transfer it to a table and roll it into a flat layer. Spread the curd mixture on the layer and leave the edges free. Roll the dough firmly to prevent it from unrolling. Then cut the roll into equal sized pieces. Each piece should be about 2-3 cm thick.
Place the dough swirl side up and lay each roll 2-3 cm apart on a silicone or Teflon mat or baking paper. If you are using baking paper then grease it with a little butter or olive oil. Then grease the buns with the water and sugar mixture. To make the mixture, mix 50 ml of water with 1 teaspoon of sugar.
Bake buns in a hot oven for about 20 minutes. While the buns are baking, combine the icing sugar and lemon juice then glaze the hot rolls and place half of the glazed cherries on top.
Notes
The best way to measure your ingredients is to use an electronic kitchen scale.
Yeast:When using instant yeast check the expiration date and make sure it has not expired. If it has then the dough will not rise. In addition, combine the yeast with warm water to activate the yeast. If the water is too hot then the yeast will die and if the water is too cold it will not be activated and the dough will not rise.
Dough: Once you have kneaded the dough it should have a slightly, smooth and elastic texture. Check that it is not too wet and sticky or dense and dry. Also, ensure that you leave the dough to rise in a warm place.
Glaze: Add the glaze on to the buns when they are fresh out of the oven.
Raisins or sultanas: add less or more depending on your preference.
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