Rum Babas, basically. No, no, no. So much more than that. So much more.
Rum babas should be as good as it gets, but these little morsels – from the brain of Valentine Warner, but improved, slightly adapted by me – are even better. Yes, they are!
Orange zested buns soaked in a syrup flavoured by orange, orange flower water, orange liqueur and honey. All this orange sounds like overload, but it remains incredibly subtle. It’s the layering of the orange that does it. It sneaks in from all angles, but quietly, politely. It’s neither harsh nor brazen.

There is the slightest waft of the exotic in the barely discernible, yet very present, orange flower water. The freshness of Triple Sec – the least cloying of all orange liqueurs – is always less predictable than rum. My addition of orange zest to the batter makes the flavour carry through more.

Then there’s the honey. Warm, sticky, rounded and familiar, increased in its intensity by the quantity of sugar backing it up. There’s nothing like a massive slug of sugar syrup to show honey for the complex substance it is.
If anything is worth baking in Summer, it is this. Provided you have no objection to the consumption of a minor quantity of alcohol being consumed by your/someone’s child, then I can assure you that kids, well, my kid, loves them. They’re a crowd pleaser and definitely something I would make for a picnic – especially as you store them in jars. How very cool, hip, lifestyle and Anthropologie.

- *pause for whittering* O.M.G., I heart Anthropologie. I have been gasping over their website for ever. Then I met my dearest friend Claire in London for the day, requested a trip there and she took me. She took me to Anthropologie. It was a moment that I will never forget. She even took my picture by the living wall. Thank God I had stopped squealing and hanging on to it.
I left my heart there. If I win the lottery, I’m off to Regent Street to empty my purse right there. Dump, clatter.
‘One of everything, please.’
‘Certainly Madam. I say! Are those sticky, honey, orange scented buns packed artistically, yet deceptively casually, into a kilner-type jar?’
‘Why, yes they are!’
‘Madam, you are one of us.’
‘I know, right? Totally fey and co-ol. Did you know I am wearing crocheted knickers with a lace trim?’
‘*gasp* Madam is perfect!’
*blush*

- End of wittering, come on back in.

Grease the wells of a 12-hole mini muffin tray and mini doughnut tray with cake release spray or brush with melted butter. I like making these small – it gives dieters (like me – 2 stone gone!) the chance to have just one and everyone else the chance to eat many – because they are small. Feel free to make them in normal muffin tins – it’s all good.

Start by mixing together the sugar, flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl until well combined. Add half (or 3/4 if half isn’t enough) of the beaten eggs,

then whisk using an electric whisk until the mixture is well combined and forms a sticky paste. Don’t be fretting about overworking it. We have barely begun beating the life out of it.

Gradually whisk in a little of the remaining beaten egg. When the egg is fully incorporated into the mixture, add 1-2 of the softened butter cubes and whisk in until fully incorporated into the mixture.

Whisk the remaining beaten egg and remaining butter cubes into the mixture in alternate turns, until the mixture comes together as a soft dough.

It will climb up the beaters repeatedly. Do try not to fling it against the wall. No, really. You may want to rage at it, swear at it, open the back door and hurl that mofo down to the end of the garden.
Don’t.

Be zen. It wants to climb, so it will climb. Calmly scrape it down and get on with it so this part ends quickly.

Add the grated zest and then, using a wooden spoon or a spatula (let’s see it climb up that. HA!), beat the dough until smooth.

Divide the dough mixture equally among the wells in the prepared muffin tray. What I mean by this is, scoop a teaspoon full of the stretchy batter and deposit it into each mini muffin well. For the mini doughnut tin (should you also have acquired one from TKMaxx), I knock the dough off the spoon with my little finger and curl it round the centre ‘stalk’.

Set aside in a warm place for 50-60 mins (I put mine in the airing cupboard), or until the buns have doubled in size and filled the wells in the tray. I sometimes just take them out after 60 mins regardless. I know this is bad, but I am being honest. £300 says I’m not alone.

Meanwhile, for the syrup, heat the caster sugar, orange rind and cold water in a pan over a low heat, stirring well. When the sugar has dissolved, bring the mixture to the boil and continue to boil for 5, 7, maybe even 10 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened slightly and resembles syrup. Don’t over-think it though- it thickens significantly once it’s been in the fridge.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the honey, orange liqueur and orange-flower water, until well combined. Set aside until cooled slightly.

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

When the buns are proved and swollen,

bake them in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until well risen and pale golden-brown. Swap the trays over in the oven after 5 mins. These buns have a real thing about burning. Watch them like a hawk. They WANT to burn. Catch them at that deep golden deliciousness stage.

Set aside to cool on a wire rack.

Pack the buns into two 1 litre/1¾ pints sterilised jars. Equally divide the syrup and set aside for 20 minutes

then cover the jar and seal tightly. I like to stand the jars on their heads for a while to give the top ones a good soaking before moving them to the fridge.

Incidentally, Valentine Warner says the buns can be kept in the fridge for up to one month.

The syrup doesn’t completely cover the buns, so I like to rotate them occasionally whilst they’re living in the fridge. I cannot overstate the extent to which these are saturated by the syrup, so don’t lose sleep over ‘the ones at the top being dry’. Ain’t never gonna happen, friend.

I serve them as is, but a swirl of whipped cream wouldn’t detract from the flavour…

Orangey honey buns (Valentine Warner’s recipe, fiddled with)

PRINT THIS RECIPE (opens in a new window)

(Original recipe here)

Buns

4 tsp caster sugar
150g plain flour
pinch sea salt flakes
1 x 7g sachet easy-blend dried yeast
3 large free-range eggs, lightly beaten
75g butter, slightly softened, cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing
grated zest 1 orange

Syrup

500g caster sugar
1 orange, rind only, rind cut into long strips
500ml cold water
100g-150g clear honey (mine was a bit weak and feeble, so I upped it to 150g)
4 tbsp orange liqueur (I used Triple Sec)
1 tsp orange-flower water

whipped cream, to serve (optional)

Grease the wells of a 12-hole mini muffin tray and mini doughnut tray with Cake release spray.

Mix together the sugar, flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl until well combined. Add half (or 3/4) of the beaten eggs, then whisk using an electric whisk until the mixture is well combined and forms a sticky paste.

Gradually whisk in a little of the remaining beaten egg. When the egg is fully incorporated into the mixture, add 1-2 butter cubes and whisk in until fully incorporated into the mixture.
Whisk the remaining beaten egg and remaining butter cubes into the mixture in alternate turns, until the mixture comes together as a soft dough. It will climb up the beaters repeatedly. Do try not to fling it against the wall.
Add the grated zest and then, using a wooden spoon, beat the dough until smooth.

Divide the dough mixture equally among the wells in the prepared muffin tray. Set aside in a warm place for 50-60 mins, or until the buns have doubled in size and filled the wells in the tray.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

When the buns are swollen, bake them in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until well risen and pale golden-brown. Swap the trays over in the oven after 5 mins. These buns have a real thing about burning. Watch them like a hawk.
Set aside to cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, for the syrup, heat the sugar, orange rind and cold water in a pan over a low heat, stirring well. When the sugar has dissolved, bring the mixture to the boil and continue to boil for 5, 7, maybe even 10 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened slightly and resembles syrup. Don’t over-think it – it thickens significantly once it’s been in the fridge.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the honey, orange liqueur and orange-flower water, until well combined. Set aside until cooled slightly.

Pack the buns into two 1 litre/1¾ pints sterilised jars. Equally divide the syrup and set aside for 20 minutes, then cover the jar and seal tightly. The buns can be kept in the fridge for up to one month.

A pretty, orange-hued bread, chewy and almost oily yet light, well-mannered and great for sandwiches, outstanding for toast.
I have adapted a recipe for Potato Bread by Nigella Lawson, purely on a whim. I expected potato bread to be a poor-keeper, but quite the opposite. It stays delicious for several days and when at last too stale for any but the wettest of sandwiches, makes toast to sell your soul for. I was thrilled with the original, which uses white potatoes, but as I strolled past the sweet potatoes in the supermarket, I had a flash of inspiration and a pioneering urge that would not be ignored. I reasoned that sweet potatoes are prepared like any other potato, have a sweeter taste, but even better – they have that colour. Oh… that colour. So I tried it. And it worked.
It’s not vivid enough to look artificial, but would be a nice addition to a more natural Halloween meal. Apart from that, any pretty coloured bread has to be a welcome addition to the table.

So begin by peeled, chopping and boiling the sweet potatoes. You need 300g of mash, so I usually use about 350g raw.
Once they are tender, drain them over a bowl (you must reserve the cooking water!), put them into a large bowl and mash them. Allow them to cool to warm. Measure 300ml of the cooking water into a jug and allow that to cool to tepid.

Measure 600g strong white (bread) flour into a medium bowl. To that, add 1 tbsp salt and a packet of easy-blend yeast. I’m showing you the packet in the picture. I assure you I cut the packet open and sprinkled the yeast over the flour

Stir well to combine it all, then add that to the warm mash

stir around with a spoon

then gradually add the 300ml of potato water

and a tbsp greek yogurt or sour cream

Once it looks like it’s going to come together, get in there with your hands and persuade the dough together

Tip it out on to a floured work surface and begin to knead it, adding flour as needed because it’s really sticky. Reckon to add another 200g of flour.

St the timer for 15 minutes and put the radio on. Now knead.

until the dough is looking more like bread dough – smoother, less sticky and much more elastic. this can take 20 mins, even 25 mins, you’ll see the difference when it’s done, but this dough is a much less genteel dough – it’ll never be silky smooth like most bread doughs are.
That’ll do.
Place it in an oiled or buttered bowl, cover it with clingfilm and sit it somewhere warm and most importantly, draught-free, for about an hour or until it’s doubled.

After 50-60 mins, have a peek
My, haven’t you grown.

Punch it down. You always get references to anger at this point, but I don’t get that. I ‘punch’ it down by slowly pressing my knuckles in. I enjoy the feeling of it deflating; it’s very bubble-wrap, sensation wise.

Knead it just for a minute or so and shape it into a round or an oblong. Don’t get too over-excited here because it billows and rises in the oven in my experience. I’d hate for you to hand-craft a shape for ages, only for it to not even remotely resemble your dream once it’s cooked.
Sit it on a well floured baking sheet and cover it loosely with a tea towel for around 30 mins.

Preheat the oven to GM7/220C/425F
Once 30 mins has passed and it’s looking puffy again, put your loaf into the oven for 20 mins.

After the 20 mins at GM7, turn the temperature down to GM5/190C/375F and cook for another 15 mins.

Check that it has cooked by knocking the bread with your knuckle. Check the top first – it will sound hollow.
Turn the loaf over (I usually have to run a spatula under it to release it) and knock its bottom. If it doesn’t sound hollow, put it back on the sheet upside down and cook for another 5 mins.
Check again. If it still doesn’t sound hollow, put it back in for another 5 mins.
Once it sounds hollow, remove from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack.
Woah! Hello my beauty!

Yum. Yummo.

It’s hard to convey its colour. Here is a slice on a white piece of paper.

Pretty, non? It’s easy – I’m no bread maker, but this recipe works. You’ll feel like the master of the Universe. Have a go.

———–

Blushing Bread

PRINT THIS RECIPE (opens in a new window)
adapted from Nigella Lawson’s ‘Potato Bread’

300g sweet potatoes, boiled and drained (water reserved)
800g strong white bread flour
1 tbsp salt
7g (1 sachet) easy-blend yeast (or 15g fresh yeast)
1 tblsp Greek yogurt or sour cream
300ml tepid potato water (the water you boiled the potatoes in)

Boil the sweet potatoes until soft, then drain – reserving 300ml of the water.
Allow the potatoes to cool, then put them into a large bowl and mash them.

Add 600g of the flour, the salt and yeast.
Mix together with a spoon, then gradually add the water and yogurt.
When it’s beginning to come together, turn the shaggy, bitty dough onto a floured work surface and start to knead it.
Add the remaining 200g flour as you knead because it is a very sticky dough. You don’t have to use all of the remaining flour, but invariably I need to.

The original version suggests putting it into the mixer with a dough hook, but when I did this, it practically climbed out, so I knead it by hand.
Be prepared to knead for around 20 minutes. I suggest putting the radio and a timer on.

After 15-20 mins and once the dough has become less sticky, more elastic and looking more like raw bread than a weird cellulite-ridden ball, you can rest.
Put the ball of dough into an oiled or buttered bowl and cover it with clingfilm.
Put the bowl somewhere warmish and draught-free for around an hour.

When the dough has doubled in size (this does only usually take 50-60 mins), punch it down.
Turn out of the bowl and knead just for a minute or so. Form it into a shape – round or oblong and place it on a floured baking sheet. Don’t get over excited about the shape, because it rises and swells significantly in the oven.
Cover the loaf loosely with a tea towel to allow a second rise for around 30 mins.
Preheat the oven to GM7/220C/425F

Once the 30 mins has elapsed and the loaf is looking puffy again, put it into the oven for 20 mins.
The turn the temperature down to GM5/190C/375F and cook for another 15 mins.

Check that it has cooked by knocking the bread with your knuckle. Check the top first – it will sound hollow.
Turn the loaf over (I usually have to run a spatula under it to release it) and knock its bottom. If it doesn’t sound hollow, put it back on the sheet upside down and cook for another 5 mins.
Check again. If it still doesn’t sound hollow, put it back in for another 5 mins. Be cautious.
Once it sounds hollow, remove from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack.