Studded with blueberries and spiced with cinnamon and ginger, meet your new brunch centerpiece – the Giant Blueberry Bun. Find more summer-ready buns in our July/August 2019 issue!
Giant Blueberry Bun
Ingredients
- 4¼ to 4½ cups (531 to 563 grams) all-purpose flour, divided
- ⅓ cup (67 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 (0.25-ounce) package (7 grams) active dry yeast
- 2¼ teaspoons (6 grams) kosher salt, divided
- 1¼ cups (300 grams) whole milk
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened and divided
- 1 large egg (50 grams)
- ¾ cup (165 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons (4 grams) ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground ginger
- ¾ cup (90 grams) fresh blueberries, divided Berry Glaze (recipe follows)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 1½ cups (188 grams) flour, granulated sugar, yeast, and 2 teaspoons (6 grams) salt.
- In a medium saucepan, heat milk and ½ cup (113.5 grams) butter over medium heat until an instant-read thermometer registers 120°F (49°C) to 130°F (54°C). Add warm milk mixture to flour mixture, and beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add egg, and beat at medium-high speed for 2 minutes. With mixer on low speed, gradually add 2¾ cups (344 grams) flour, beating just until combined and stopping to scrape sides of bowl as needed.
- Switch to the dough hook attachment. Beat at medium speed until a soft, somewhat sticky dough forms, 6 to 8 minutes, stopping to scrape dough hook and sides of bowl as needed. Add up to remaining ¼ cup (31 grams) flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary. (Dough should pass the windowpane test [see PRO TIP on page 81] but may still stick slightly to sides of bowl.)
- Lightly oil a large bowl. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until doubled in size, 40 minutes to 1 hour. (See Make Ahead tip on page 77 for make-ahead method.)
- Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray; line bottom of pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Lightly punch down dough. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12 ×10-inch rectangle. Using a small offset spatula, spread remaining ½ cup (113.5 grams) butter onto dough. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. (Layer will be thick.) Using a pizza cutter, cut dough crosswise into 4 (about 10×3-inch) strips. Scatter ½ cup (60 grams) blueberries over strips, lightly pressing into dough. Gently roll up 1 strip. Continue to roll each remaining strip around previous, creating a spiral. Secure ends of outer layer with thin wooden picks, if necessary. Place bun in prepared pan. (Bun will not completely fill pan at this point.) Gently tuck remaining ¼ cup (30 grams) blueberries into spiral as desired. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove any wooden picks.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, and place on bottom rack of oven to catch any drips. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Bake on center rack of oven for 15 minutes. Loosely cover with foil, and bake until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 190°F (88°C), about 1 hour more. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove from pan, and drizzle with Berry Glaze.
Berry Glaze
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 grams) confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons (45 grams) whole milk
- 1 tablespoon (20 grams) high-quality blueberry jam (see Note)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients until smooth. Use immediately.
