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Easter Simnel Swirl Buns

Easter Simnel Swirl Buns

By Stork Recipes
Published on 25 June 2021
Easter would not be Easter without either simnel cake or hot cross buns. Learn from no other than former GBBO winner John Whaite using the showstopping Simnel Swirl Bun recipe this Easter. What a delicious treat!
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Time and servings

1 hr 45 minsTotal time
12Servings
1 hr 30 minsPrep time
15 minsCooking time

Ingredients

  • 115 g of stork with butter, 40g for the dough, 75g for the filling
  • 10 caster sugar
  • 120 ml of milk
  • 1 large of egg
  • 5 g of salt
  • 4 tbsp of apricot jam
  • 1 tsp of flavourless oil, for greasing
  • 1 tsp of mixed spice
  • 75 g of marzipan, cut into small chunks
  • 100 g of dried mixed fruit
  • 50 g of almonds, roughly chopped
  • 500 g of strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 7 g of fast-action yeast
  • 75 g of dark muscovado sugar

Method

  1. Step 1

    To make the dough, place the flour in a bowl and stir in the salt and sugar. Add the yeast and stir it through the flour. Add the milk, egg and 150ml of tepid water and mix well with a wooden spoon or your hands until you have scraggy dough.
  2. Step 2

    Squeeze in the Stork with Butter then knead until the mixture is smooth and elastic; about 10 minutes. This is much quicker to make in a food mixer fitted with dough hook.
  3. Step 3

    Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with cling film and allow to rise until doubled in size; usually an hour but could be more if your kitchen is cool.
  4. Step 4

    While the dough rises make the filling. Cream together the Stork with butter, sugar and spice until paste-like.
  5. Step 5

    Once the dough has risen, flour the worktop and roll the dough out into a square of about 45cm/18-inch. Spread the filling all over the dough then scatter the marzipan, fruit and nuts onto the filling. Roll up into a tight spiral, trim off the messy ends, and then cut the roll into 12 equal-ish slices*. Place these, spiral sides up, into a medium sized roasting dish or muffin tin and allow to rise for another 30 minutes.
  6. Step 6

    For the glaze, simply boil together the apricot jam and water for one minute.
  7. Step 7

    Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas mark 8. Bake the buns for 15 minutes or until risen and golden. As soon as the buns come out of the oven, paint over the apricot jam and allow to cool in the tin.