Nobody's Mad

My better half remembers currant buns from boyhood.  This recipe– changed somewhat, and adapted for American cooks, originated on cookeryclub.co.  Easy, delicious, and not too rich, it makes a baker’s dozen.

Yeast Mixture

• 1/4 cup white bread flour
• 1 cup heated milk (temperature for bread-making; nonfat is fine)
• 2 envelopes dry yeast ( 1/4 oz. each, regular, not “Rapid”)

Dough Mixture

• 2 1/2 cups white bread flour
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 4 tablespoons softened butter
• 1/2 beaten egg (saving the remainder for “egg wash”)

Glaze

• Equal parts sugar and water, boiled together.

Beat together the yeast mixture and set it aside a few minutes in a warm place.  It should start to foam up.  While the yeast mixture is proving, combine the ingredients for the dough mixture.  The yeast mixture having foamed up nicely, add it to the dough mixture.  Knead for about five minutes by hand or three minutes with a dough hook.  If the dough is too soft, add more flour, perhaps about 1/4 cup, as you go.  (If using the dough hook, follow up with a minute or so of hand- kneading.)  Place the dough in a bowl with a dampened towel over the top and leave in a warm place to rise until double.  Punch down the dough.

Knead in:

• 2/3 cup (4 oz.)  currants.

Preheat the oven to375 degrees.  Divide the dough into 12 parts and form into buns.  Place the buns on a greased cookie sheet.  Brush them thoroughly with a “wash” made from the remaining egg, mixed with a little milk.  They may be arranged so they are barely touching.  Let rise again in a warm place, until nearly double.  Bake on the middle rack of the oven, for 12 to 14 minutes.  Brush with the boiled sugar-water glaze.