Few things are as good as warm vanilla pastries for breakfast, with a bit of clotted cream and some jam, along with a mug of tea or a cup of coffee. Very crunchy on the outside and perfectly soft and fluffy on the inside. But the most important part about these breakfast buns are the honey and the vanilla.
Use whole vanilla beans and a high quality raw honey, for the best flavour possible. But, of course, if you cannot get whole vanilla beans, use a good vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. The breadcrumbs add such a lovely crunch to these buns, so do not omit them. They are best served fresh and hot from the oven, on their own or even dusted with a bit of icing sugar.
Ingredients
For the buns
400 grams plain flour
2 teaspoons dried yeast
50 grams raw honey
1 teaspoon salt
250 ml warm water
1 whole vanilla pod
2 tablespoons oil
For the topping
3 tablespoons raw honey
2 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons fine breadcrumbs
Preparation
Sift the flour, then reserve about 50 grams and set it aside. Put the rest of the flour in a large bowl, add the salt and yeast and whisk very well. In a small bowl, whisk together the hot water, raw honey, and oil. Take the vanilla pod, slice it down the middle, then scrape all the seeds right into the honey mixture. Blend well. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the wet ingredients. Start mixing with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together, then transfer it to a floured surface and continue to knead with your hands for about 5 minutes, adding the reserved flour as you knead. Depending on the flour, you may not need all of the reserved flour.
It is better to leave the dough on the soft side, then to add too much flour. Once kneaded and ready, transfer the dough to a large bowl, cover it with a kitchen towel and let it rise until doubled in size, about an hour. Flour your work surface, turn out the risen dough, gently knead it, and then divide it into 12 equal parts. You can use a scale to make sure they are all the same size. Roll each piece into an oblong shape, then let them rest for about 30 minutes. To make the topping, mix together the honey and the water, then dip each bun into in, and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, then sprinkle them evenly with breadcrumbs. Bake in a preheated oven, at 200˚C (400˚F) for 18-20 minutes and serve warm. Yields 12 buns.
