Iced finger buns
Iced buns are a delicious nostalgic treat found in any UK bakery. With this easy recipe you can make your own tasty soft buns topped with colourful icing and sprinkles.
Iced buns are a bake of my childhood, that you can still find in any UK bakery. They’re a deliciously soft bun made with a slightly sweetened enriched dough and then topped with icing and sprinkles. They’re so easy to make, they’re a great bake for kids who want to get busy in the kitchen.
If you’re in the UK you’re bound to have seen these in your local bakery. They’re a deliciously soft finger bun topped with icing.
Making bread with kids is a great way of getting busy in the kitchen, as it’s really hands on. With relatively few ingredients and no special equipment you can rustle up something really fun and tasty.
What are iced buns?
An iced bun is exactly what says on the tin – it’s a soft finger roll bun topped with icing (and sprinkles).
How can kids help to make iced finger buns?
Like any bread recipe, these buns are a great bake for kids to get involved in as there loads of easy steps for them to get involved in.
Kids can help measure and mix the ingredients together before kneading the dough. My kids always enjoy kneading bread – it’s a great hands on job for them to do.
Another brilliant hands on job for kids to do is to shape the finger buns. It’s easier than you think and a job my kids really enjoyed. If they like playing with play-dough they should find this quite fun and easy.
Finally, your kids can help to ice these buns. Once you’ve made the icing they can either dip the buns in it, or spread the icing on with a spoon. And if you’ve got very young children or toddlers they can certainly help to add the sprinkles on top.
How long do iced buns keep?
I think these are best served on the day they’re made. You can keep them for a day or so covered in a cool dry place.
Do I need to use plain flour and bread flour?
When making these bread rolls, a mixture of plain (all-purpose) and strong white bread flour is the best flour to use. Bread flour has more protein in it than plain or all-purpose flour, which helps it rise and gives it more structural shape, but the addition of plain flour keeps them nice and light.
You could make these rolls with just bread flour, but they’d be a little bit denser than if you’d used a mixture of both.
How do you serve iced buns?
Once iced, you can eat these buns as they are. Alternatively, you might want to open them and add some butter and/or jam.
Similar recipes
If you liked these iced buns you’ll love our easy bread and bun recipes,
Raspberry swirl rolls
Cinnamon rolls
Nutella babka
Schnecken
Belgian buns
Monkey bread
Or why not try one of our other nostalgic bakes
Treacle sponge
Jam tarts
Sticky toffee pudding
Brioche bread and butter pudding
Sultana cake
Cornflake tart
Madeira cake
Victoria sponge traybake
Useful equipment
You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make these iced buns
Digital scales
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Baking tray
Wire rack
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Ingredients
For the buns
250g (3 ½ cups) strong white bread flour
250g plain flour
1 x 7g sachet of fast action dried yeast
50g (4 tablespoons) caster sugar
50g butter
1 egg
175ml milk
50-100ml warm water
To decorate
350g icing sugar
sprinkles
How to make iced finger buns
Measure the dry ingredients
Get your kids to measure out both the flours and add them to a large mixing bowl or a free-standing mixer.
Add a sachet of yeast and the caster sugar.
Add the wet ingredients
Crack an egg into a small bowl, then add to a well in the middle of your flour. We never add our eggs straight in, just in case any shell goes in. If it does, simple fish it out with a larger piece of shell or a teaspoon. It will stick to that better than it will your finger.
Measure out 175ml of milk. If you have digital scales the easiest way of doing this is just to use the ml setting.
Get your kids to measure the butter and cut it into a few pieces. Add it to the milk.
Heat the milk gently, either in the microwave or on the hob until it is lukewarm and the butter has softened. Don’t over heat the milk – it should feel a nice comfortable temperature to hold your finger in.
If you’re using a free-standing mixer, attach your dough hook and start mixing it all together while you slowly pour in the milk.
If you don’t have a mixer, make a well in the centre and slow get your kids to pour the milk/butter in while you mix it all together with a spoon.
Make the iced bun dough
Knead, or let your mixer knead your dough for 5-10 minutes until the dough because soft, smooth and stretchy.
You might need to add 50-100ml of warm water if your dough is too dry. Add it a little at a time so all the flour gets mixed in but it doesn’t become too wet.
We tend to do most of our kneading in the mixer and then the kids finish it off with their hands on the work top. The kids love getting involved and kneading and bashing the dough, but won’t necessarily do it for long enough which is why starting in the mixer works well for us.
If you’re kneading it by hand, you want to get your kids to hold the dough with one hand and pull it away from them with the other. Bring it back together, turn it around and repeat.
Leave the dough to prove
Pop your dough in an oiled bowl and cover it with oiled cling film / glad wrap or a clean tea towel and put it in a warm place to rise. Leave it for an hour or so until it has doubled in size.
Form the finger buns
Line two baking trays with baking or parchment paper.
Remove the dough from the bowl and knock it back on your worktop (bash it to knock the air out).
Divide the mixture into twelve equal portions. Unless you have older children if you let them divide the dough, it’s unlikely to be very even so you might need to do that yourself. If you want to be really accurate you can weigh your dough and divide the number by twelve.
If you want smaller buns, you could make 16 or 20 portions at this point.
Get your kids to shape each piece of dough into a long sausage shape about 10cm long. If your kids like playing with play-dough, they’ll enjoy this job.
Lay each roll on your baking tray. Leave a little gap between each one so they have space to grow as they prove and bake. Lay them facing the same way and don’t worry if they end up touching, as this is what gives them a lovely soft edge.
Cover the finger rolls again and leave them to prove for another 30-60 minutes or so until they have doubled in size again. You know they’re definitely ready when if you gently poke them the dough should spring back.
Bake the iced buns
Preheat your oven to 200C / 180C Fan / 390F.
Bake your buns for 10-15 minutes. They’re ready when they’ve risen and turned a lovely golden brown colour. If you tap them on the bottom they should sound hollow.
Every oven is a little different, so keep an eye on them. You can turn the oven down a bit towards the end of baking if they’re looking too brown, or cook them a wee bit longer if needed.
Remove them from the oven, leave them to cool for a few minutes before popping them on a wire rack to cool completely.
Ice your buns
These wouldn’t be iced buns without a bit of icing on top. Start by measuring out the icing sugar and add a little water until the icing is runny enough to pour but thick enough that it won’t just run off your buns.
If you want to, divide the icing into different bowls and add a little food colouring.
Get your kids to spread some icing on top of each bun with the back of a spoon or dip the top of each bun in your icing and let the excess run off. Add some sprinkles before the icing sets.
Leave the icing on each finger bun to set. Serve and enjoy.
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