Quick and Easy

Boston bun with vanilla coconut frosting

An old-school Boston bun has a certain retro charm – layer the frosting on as thick as you like and serve it with butter for spreading. Photography and recipe by Gourmet Traveller.
Boston bun with vanilla coconut frosting recipe

Gourmet Traveller

6
30M
25M
1H 30M
55M

Ingredients

Boston bun
Vanilla-coconut frosting

Method

1.Whisk milk, yeast and 30g sugar in a bowl to combine, then set aside in a warm place until foamy (3-4 minutes).
2.Combine flour, sultanas, zests, vanilla, remaining sugar and salt in a large bowl, then make a well in the centre. Add yeast mixture, butter and egg, and stir to form a soft dough.
3.Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth (4-5 minutes). Place dough in a lightly buttered bowl, cover and stand in a warm place until doubled in size (40-50 minutes).
4.Knock back dough on a lightly floured surface, form into a 24cm round and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cover loosely with a tea towel and stand until risen by half (30-40 minutes).
5.Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush top of bun with eggwash and bake until golden and cooked through (15-20 minutes; bun should sound hollow when tapped). Cool completely on a wire rack.
6.For vanilla-coconut frosting, beat icing sugar, butter, vanilla and hot water in a bowl until thick and pale (2-3 minutes), spread over cooled bun, scatter with coconut and serve.

This Boston bun is best served on the day it’s made, but there’s little chance of leftovers when it tastes this good. Vanilla bean paste or extract can be used in place of vanilla beans; a teaspoon of extract is equivalent to one vanilla bean.

Note

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