Butternut Buns

Golden delicious.

Make these instead of watching the news, and I promise you will feel much happier. (I do.)

As Lockdown 2.0 looms in the direr predictions of the tabloids, we all need something to take our minds off stir-crazy mayhem. These melt in the mouth bread rolls are vegan, gluten free and gorgeous-smelling! They're made using our House White blend of gluten free flour, which you'll be familiar with if you've done our GF courses. If you use a branded GF flour, make sure it doesn't have any xanthan or other binder in it first, and increase the psyllium to 28g. Shipton Mill's All Purpose Gluten Free Blend works very well here.

Of course, if you don't happen to be vegan, you can use normal bread flour, dairy milk and butter, and honey. Whichever way you bake them, make the most of their brioche-like adapability, and serve them sweet, savoury or both at once; vegan cheddar and chilli jam are an excellent combo. Or you can add cinnamon and spice for a more autumnal flavour, and try using pumpkin instead of squash.

Whatever you do, these are comforting enough to take the edges off some rather tough times.

Ingredients

• 300g peeled butternut squash in chunks 
• 360g oat milk or other plant milk 
• 750g house white flour
• 100g vegan block
• 12g instant yeast
• 20g salt
• 35g agave or maple syrup
• 21g psyllium husk
• Poppy or sesame seeds to decorate

Method

1. Cover squash in water in a pan, bring to boil and simmer for 15 minutes, until tender. 
2. Cool and mash.
3. Weigh flour, yeast, salt and psyllium into a large bowl. 
4. Gently melt vegan block and syrup into milk in a small pan.
5. Add mashed squash and milk mixture to flour in bowl. 
6. Mix to a smooth dough.
7. Leave to rise for one hour – it will increase in volume by 20% - 30%.
8. Divide into 120g portions for rolls,  or roll into sausages to braid into a plaited loaf, or both.
9. Brush with plant milk (or beaten egg for non-vegans).
10. Sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds.
11. Prove for 30 minutes.
12. Bake at 200 C  392F  for 17 minutes (rolls) or 35 minutes (loaf).