Gingerbread Christmas Buns

These buns are a love letter to ginger in all its glorious forms. Fresh ginger brings a bright, zesty kick, ground ginger adds depth, and stem ginger—sticky and sweet—takes it over the top.

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Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 25

Rising Time: 5

Total Time: 5 55

Course: Baking, Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine: Canadian

Keyword: Christmas baking, comfort food, ginger, gingerbread, sweet and spicy, sweet Christmas breads, Traditional Christmas Breads

Servings:

Calories: 332kcal

Ingredients

For the Dough

1 package quick rising yeast
50 ml warm water 100 to 110 degrees
200 ml unsalted butter room temperature
50 ml sugar
2 large egg yolks
5 ml white vinegar
2.5 ml pure vanilla extract
50 ml sour cream
50 ml molasses
450 ml all-purpose flour plus more for work surface
250 ml bread flour
5 ml coarse salt
2.5 ml ground ginger
2.5 ml ground cinnamon
1.25 ml ground cardamom
.625 ml ground all spice
15 ml freshly grated ginger

For the Filling

30 ml unsalted butter melted
50 ml sugar
5 ml ground cinnamon
2.5 ml ground ginger
2.5 ml ground cardamom
50 ml chopped walnuts or pecans
50 ml diced stem ginger substitute crystalized ginger
all purpose flour for rolling
30 ml syrup from the stem ginger or melted unsalted butter for brushing the tops of the buns after baking

Instructions

Prepare the Dough

In a small bowl, mix together yeast and 5 ml of the sugar in warm water; set aside.
Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and the rest of the sugar on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing until well incorporated.
Next, add the vinegar and vanilla; mix to combine. Slowly add in the sour cream and molasses, and the yeast mixture. Mix until well incorporated
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours and salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice and cardamom and the grated fresh ginger, Add to the mixer and mix on low until well combined and dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl and just begins to form a ball.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Place the dough into a lightly floured large bowl and cover with a clean damp kitchen towel. Place in a warm spot and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 3 to 4 hours.

Prepare the Buns

In medium bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, ground ginger and cardamom, mix until well blended. Set aside.
Grease a 23 x 23 cm baking pan or one 12-cup muffin tin with softened butter. Set aside.
Turn yeast dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll into a 48 x 25 cm rectangle. Brush with the melted unsalted butter and liberally sprinkle with 3/4 of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Scatter the chopped walnuts and stem ginger evenly over the dough.
Beginning with the long side facing you, tightly roll the dough away from you into a log; pinch edge of dough to seal. Cut dough crosswise into 4 cm pieces.
Place the buns, cut side up into the prepared baking pan or muffin pan and cover with plastic wrap. Place in warm place until buns double in size, about 45 to 60 minutes.
Preheat oven and bake buns:
Preheat oven to 175°C. Once dough has doubled in size, remove plastic wrap and place on middle rack in oven. Bake until golden and puffed, about 22 to 24 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly on wire rack. Brush the ops with the syrup from the stem ginger, or some melted unsalted butter, then sprinkle the with the remaining ginger-cinnamon sugar. Serve warm.

Nutrition

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