* Exported from MasterCook II * Saffron Buns Recipe By : King Arthur Serving Size : 16 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Bread Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1/4 cup water -- hot 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads -- crushed 1/2 cup 1% milk -- *NOTE 1/4 cup sugar -- **NOTE 2 Tablespoons margarine, imitation -- ***NOTE 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 large egg 1 Tablespoon yeast -- +2 teaspoon 3 cups All-Purpose Flour -- unbleached King Arthur -- to 3 1/4 cups TOPPING: 1 large egg white -- beaten lightly 1 teaspoon water pearl sugar Combine the hot water and saffron, and let sit for 10 minutes to soften the saffron. In a mixing bowl, beat together the saffron water, milk, sugar, butter, salt, egg, yeast, 2 cups of the flour. Add enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead the dough (for about 15 minutes by hand, 12 minutes in an electric mixer, 90 seconds in a food processor, or in your bread machine using the dough cycle), then set it aside to rise till puffy (but not necessarily doubled in bulk), about 2 hours. Punch the dough down, and let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Divide the dough into 16 pieces, and shape each piece into a ball. Place the balls fairly close together (but not touching) in a 12-inch deep -dish pizza pan or 9 x 13-inch pan, cover them, and let rise for 1 1/2 hours, or until they're puffy. Glaze the buns with the mixture of beaten egg white and water, then sprinkle them heavily with pearl sugar. Bake them in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for 20 minutes, or until they're golden brown. ( watch them closely at the end; because of their high sugar content, they tend to brown quickly.) Serve with butter or Devon cream. Yield: 16 buns. One bun: Calories 114.8 Total Fat g 1.4 %cal from fat 10.7% Cholesterol mg 14 Carbs g 21.7 Sodium mg 229 Protein g 3.6 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES: *Original recipe called for whole milk. **Original recipe called for 1/3 cup sugar. ***Original recipe called for butter.