If we are going to eat something sweet it seems to me much better to make it from scratch.
These Fried Sweet Buns are a cross between a Honey Bun and a Doughnut so if you like either a honey bun or a doughnut you will surely like these.
Many years ago my Aunt Leona sent my mother a recipe for her sweet bread and she used it to make many different types of sweet breads and rolls. Aunt Leona lived during a time when most people made homemade bread. I combined her sweet bread recipe with my dough recipe and finally came up with a honey bun type bun for my daughter. My Grandson has severe food allergies and going to the store to buy store bought sweets in not an option.
I wanted to make the best I could and after trying it several ways and my husband enjoying being the taste tester I have settled my mind that you can't get better than this. I am sharing this recipe with my website visitors.
Recipe for 8 buns
1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1/4 cup warm water 105 degrees
2 cups of all purpose flour ( you will probably not need all of it)
3 ounces of milk
3 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup Honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 Tablespoons butter to be used before rolling.
1 Tablespoon Honey to be used before rolling.
Recipe for Glaze
1 & 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon Butter
2 Tablespoon honey
3 drops vanilla
dash salt
Hot water enough to make a moderately to thin glaze.
Directions for glaze, place the butter and honey in a small saucepan just briefly to melt the butter and honey. In a small bowl place powdered sugar, vanilla and salt then pour the melted butter honey mixture over the powdered sugar mixture. Add just enough hot water to make a Glaze.
In a large bowl place 1and 1/2 cups of flour to a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Set aside.
Add the yeast, sugar and 1/4 cup warm water 105 degrees to a small bowl but enough room to let the yeast rise a bit.
Whisk together until frothy. Set the timer to 8 minutes. While the yeast is proofing move on to the next steps.
In a small saucepan add the 3 ounces of milk. This is when we scald the milk which means turn on the heat and bring it just to the point of boil but not boiling. Remove immediately from the heat.
Add the three tablespoons butter, 1/4 cup of honey, 1/4 teaspoon salt and whisk together away from heat. Let this cool down.
If you need to quick cool something just sit the boiler in a pan of cool water.
In another small bowl whisk the egg until frothy.
After the milk mixture has cooled down, not cold just not hot anymore, add the eggs to the mixture and whisk again.
After the timer goes off for the yeast mixture then add the yeast mixture and egg/milk/honey mixture to the flour. If the timer goes off and you are not ready the yeast will be fine to set for another few minutes.
Gradually add the flour a little at a time until it is thicker and a bit like dough.
Mix the dough with a spatula and if needed add a little more of the remaining flour, keeping some reserved back for kneading.
Move to a floured surface and begin kneading.
*Note many times I do not use all of the flour that is called for in my recipe. I just use that amount as a guide.
Add a little flour at a time, do not use all your flour that is in the cup at one time. This needs to be added slowly as needed and knead with a quick motion keeping the dough moving quickly for about 8 minutes. You will get the feel of it each time you make it.
Push with the palm of your hand and move it up and off the board quickly keeping small amounts of flour on the board until it is no longer sticky.
Stretch out the dough a few times to add flour until the dough is no longer sticky.
Knead the dough until you have a nice soft dough.
I kneaded the dough for 8 minutes.
Place the dough in a slightly oiled bowl and turn it a few times to get a slight oil over the dough. Not a lot of oil just a bit.
Cover with a damp cloth and let sit in a warm area for 1 hour. I let mine sit in the oven with the light on.
After one hour the dough should be doubled in size or more.
Just before time to roll out the dough, melt 2 tablespoons butter and one heaping tablespoon honey to the saucepan and heat it only enough to slow melt the butter and stir the honey into the melted butter. This will be used to spread over the dough after rolling flat.
Remove the dough from the bowl onto a lightly oiled surface and press it down.
Roll out the dough.
You can lift the dough to pull it into a rectangle and shape it.
Roll out the dough to about 17 inches long.
And about 7 inches wide.
With your fingers mix the butter and the honey a bit in the pan, this should only be warm to touch.
I just spread it out with my hand. Do not use all if it, reserve a bit of it back and set aside. However spread the butter honey mixture over the dough to cover it.
This is the messy part roll gently the dough starting at the 7 inch side and roll across keeping the honey mixture in place the best you can.
Now push it together like an Accordion to shape it and shorten it just a bit.
Cut this in half....
Then cut the halves in half.....
Then cut those halves in half. You should have eight pieces.
Lay the pieces on an oiled cooking sheet. Press down to flatten.
Press again and stretch them more rectangle shape.
Just keep fiddling with them until you have them the shape you want.
Put them in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.
Just before the second rise is done, gently reheat the remaining butter/honey mixture and add another tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon of honey to this mixture.
In a small medium to small bowl add one and one half cups of powdered sugar, 3 drops of vanilla, this honey butter mixture and just enough hot water to make a glaze.
Set it aside close to your work area, you will need this to put over the cooked buns.
We need a rack and paper towels or something to drain the buns.
The temperature of the oil should be set to about 330 degrees. I am using extra light olive oil because our family has food allergies and this is what we use.
It is very important to test the temperature of the oil. I have found that 320 to 330 degrees is a good temperature to cook these buns. The oil needs to remain steady as possible so it means adjusting the temperature during cooking.
Remove one bun from the sheet to put in the hot oil. Do only one at first to test the temperature.
This can be a bit fiddly because when you place the buns in the oil the temperature drops. They need to cook two minutes on each side.Set a timer.
Make sure to keep a check on the temperature.
If it is too brown when you flip it over after two minutes then lower the temperature a bit. Adjust the temperature as you cook the buns. Remember they need to cook 2 minutes on both sides.
If that one turned out good then add two more to the skillet. I cook two at a time. More than that brings the temperature of the oil down too quickly.
Place the cooked buns on a clean towel to drain.
Place upside down into a shallow bowl or plate.
spoon glaze over the bottom, flip and glaze the top.
This is the top. Just spread it completely over the top.
These truly are delicious and something that we cannot make often because we will keep eating them. Enjoy! Grandma Donna
