fig buns
fresh figs, olive oil brioche, almond creme patisserie and a drizzle of honey
it’s fig season! they popped up at the markets and i instantly bought a kilo, then went back the next day for another kilo
i love baking with figs, they hold up so well in the oven and get wonderfully jammy and caramelised
the textures in these buns are delightful and worth running the oven for on even the hottest day
yields four buns
ingredients
olive oil brioche
125g flour
pinch salt
63g water
20g honey
0.5 tsp instant yeast
zest of one lemon
1 egg yolk
23g olive oil
almond creme patisserie
105mL milk (sub soy milk for totally dairy free!)
1 tsp vanilla paste
0.5 tsp almond essence
16g caster sugar
7g cornflour
1 egg yolk
pinch salt
assembly
2 fresh, ripe figs cut in half
about 1 tbsp honey, to drizzle
about 1 tbsp crushed or flaked almonds
flakey salt
sugar syrup
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp water
method
olive oil brioche
add the flour (125g), salt (pinch), water (63g), honey (20g), yeast (0.5 tsp), and lemon zest (from one lemon) to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer
mix to form a rough, shaggy dough
add the egg yolk (1) and mix to incorporate
slowly add the olive oil (23g) a spoon at a time, kneading in between
knead until the dough is soft, supple, and passes the windowpane test (this will take about 10-15 minutes with a stand mixer, longer by hand!)
cover and let rise in a warm place for one hour
meanwhile, prepare the almond creme patisserie (below)
tip the proofed dough out onto the work surface and pat down lightly
divide and shape the dough into four even balls and place on a lined baking sheet
cover lightly and let rise in a warm place for 90 minutes
towards the end of the proofing period, preheat oven to 180°C
assembly
lightly oil the bottom of a small glass and press it firmly into the centre of each proofed bun to create the indent for your creme patisserie and figs to sit (the buns will rise in the oven, so it’s a good idea to make indent this deeper and wider than you think you need!)
pipe a quarter of the almond creme patisserie filling into each bun
sprinkle the almonds around the perimeter of the almond creme patisserie
press half a fig into the centre of the creme patisserie
drizzle with honey and sprinkle with flakey salt
transfer the assembled buns to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes
brush the buns with the sugar syrup (below) as soon as they come out of the oven
best eaten warm on the same day
almond creme patisserie
in a small saucepan, add the milk (105mL), vanilla (1 tsp), and almond essence (0.5 tsp) and heat gently over low heat
meanwhile, whisk together the sugar (16g), cornflour (7g) and egg yolk (1) in a medium bowl until pale and fluffy
slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly
return the mixture to the saucepan and whisk constantly over medium heat until thickened
transfer to a piping or ziploc bag and chill until required
sugar syrup
add the sugar (1 tbsp) and water (1 tbsp) to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second increments until the sugar has dissolved
brush over the buns as soon as they come out of the oven
They look amazing!