Earl Grey Sticky Buns

The cold weather is finally here and I'm not mad about it. Colder temperature means more opportunity to get cozy and what's more cozy than your favorite cup of tea? If you're a tea enthusiast like myself, you'd be delighted to hear that I found another way of enjoying your favorite tea. This time, in a sticky bun form! 

In this recipe, I incorporate my loose leaf cream earl grey tea into the dough and filling of my sticky buns. The best part, you can use your own variation of tea. The best tea to use are black teas. What are you waiting for? Start steeping.

 



Ingredients:

2 cups All Purpose Flour

1/2 cup Milk (plant based or regular)

3 + 2 tbsp Loose Leaf Tea

1/4 cup + 1/2 cup White Sugar

2 Eggs

2 1/2 tsp Active Dry Yeast

1/3 + 1/2 cup Butter (soft and spreadable)

1 tsp Salt 

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1 tbsp Vanilla Extract

 

How to:

  1. Infuse the 3 tbsp of loose leaf tea with 1/2 cup hot milk. Let it steep and cool to bath water temperature. Strain the leaves out and transfer the milk to a mixing bowl.
  2. Bloom the yeast by adding 1 tsp of white sugar into the warm tea milk and 2 1/2 tsp yeast. Stir and let it sit until frothy. The milk must be warm enough in order for the yeast to bloom. If there is no froth on top after 5 minutes, add 1 tbsp of hot water into the mixture. That should restart the blooming again. 
  3. Once your yeast mixture has bloomed, add the flour, eggs, 1/3 cup soft butter, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1 tbsp vanilla extract. Mix until a loose dough forms. *If you have a stand mixer, you can use it with a dough hook attachment!
  4. Turn out the loose dough on a clean surface, dust with a bit of flour and knead for 3-5 minutes or until no longer sticky and the surface is smooth. Transfer the ball of dough in a greased bowl for the first proof. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap tightly and let it proof for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size. 
  5. While the dough is proofing, make your tea sugar by combining 1/2 cup of white sugar with the remaining 2 tbsp of loose leaf tea. 
  6. Now you're ready to make your filling. Easy peasy! Just add the 1/2 cup brown sugar to your tea sugar. Mix well. Set aside until ready to use. 
  7. Once the dough has doubled in size, flatten it into a 12x10 inches rectangle using your rolling pin. Spread the 1/2 cup of soft butter on top evenly. Sprinkle your sugar mixture on top. Gently press so the sugar sticks to the butter. 
  8. You're now ready to roll your buns. Start with the short edge of the rectangle and roll towards the other end tightly.
  9. Now you have a log. Trim the edges. Slice 2 1/2 inches thick buns using a sharp knife. Be careful not to flatten the buns. 
  10. Transfer buns onto a greased cake pan. Make sure there are some space in between each buns. They will rise one more time. 
  11. Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel and proof for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 
  12. Bake the buns for 30 minutes. Invert the buns onto a plate while the sugar is still hot. Let the buns cool a bit before digging in!