The interior of these soft, fluffy, plant-based buns is a stunning shade of bluish-purple, and they are loaded with antioxidants and nutrients.
Portion 9
Ingredients:
For the buns:
About 120ml (4fl oz) coconut milk
About 120g (4.2oz) blueberries (blackberries work too)
1 packet (214 teaspoon) dry active yeast
A pinch of sugar
Roughly 350g (12.3oz) bread flour, sifted
75 grams (2.6 ounces) of granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp lemon zest
2 tbsp vegan butter, softened
For the wash:
Plant-based milk or melted vegan butter
Utilizing bread flour for dusting
How to prepare:
Blend the coconut milk and blueberries for a few seconds in a blender. You want some of the blueberry peel and flesh to remain intact, so avoid blending or puréeing them. Heat the mixture in microwave-safe increments of 20 seconds to approximately 43°C/110°F. Incorporate the yeast and a pinch of sugar.
Wait a few minutes, until the yeast foams and bubbles.
Pour the flour, sugar, and salt into a stand mixer equipped with a dough hook. Add the blueberry combination, extract of vanilla, and zest of lemon. Mix on low until a sticky, elastic dough is formed. Cover and slumber for twenty minutes. Mix for approximately 9 minutes on low speed, gradually adding the butter and scraping the bowl as necessary, until a smooth, elastic dough develops. It's okay if it's sticky, as this is a wetter dough. If the mixture is too wet, add some flour. The windowpane test can be performed with a little piece of dough. As long as the dough is elastic and stretchy, you may cease kneading. Form into a ball and then cover. Allow to rise until almost doubled in size, approximately 60 minutes.
Grease an 8 × 8-inch (20.5 x 20.5cm) baking pan with vegan butter or line it with parchment paper.
Flatten out the dough. Divide into nine equal portions (about 75 grams or 212 ounces each). Make nine dough balls, one at a time, working individually. Place the dough balls in the pan in a three-by-three array and allow them to rise for 60 minutes, or until they have about doubled in size.
30 minutes prior to baking, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 and position the rack in the middle.
The tops are washed with vegan milk or melted butter and then dusted with bread flour. Bake the buns for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Approximately 20 minutes into the baking process, cover the dish with aluminum foil.
Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Serve warm with a thick layer of vegan butter or vegan maple butter.
