HALLOWEEN JACK-O-LANTERN BUNS

by Leah Halmagyi

Ingredients

  • 1kg bakers’ flour
  • 10g bread improver
  • 1½ tsp ground turmeric
  • finely grated zest of 2 oranges
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 400ml water
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1½ Tbsp malt syrup
  • 2 tsp vanilla paste
  • 125ml vegetable oil
  • 20g fine salt
  • cinnamon sticks and cinnamon sugar, to garnish

Instructions

Preparation time: 25 minutes plus rising
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Makes: 24

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Combine the flour, bread improver, turmeric, zest and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook and stir to combine. Whisk the water, 2 eggs, yolks malt syrup and vanilla in a bowl, then add to the flour mixture while beating on low speed.
2 Once the dough appears shaggy, add the oil in a steady stream, then add the salt. Beat on low speed for 10 minutes, until the dough begins to come away from the sides of the bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, until risen and cold.
3 Divide into 24 pieces and roll each into a ball. Using 60cm lengths of kitchen, tie the balls loosely to make eight protruding parts. Cover, then set aside to rise for 1 hour.
4 Whisk the remaining eggs and brush onto the buns. Bake for 25 minutes until deep golden, then cool on a wire rack. Snip the string, then gently remove. Insert a halved cinnamon stick into the centres and dredge with cinnamon sugar.