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Orange and Cocoanut Buns
1 cup and 2 tablespoons water 1 cake compressed yeast 1 pound whole-wheat flour 1/3 cup shredded cocoanut 1/3 cup candied orange peel cut into small pieces 2 egg yolks 1/4 cup sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 3 tablespoons cooking oil Mix flour, cocoanut, and orange peel. Dissolve the yeast in the water. Stir in the egg yolks, salt, and oil. Beat well together. Then turn this liquid mixture into the flour mixture, knead till the dough is smooth, then proceed as in making other buns.
A straightforward enriched whole-wheat bun dough with candied peel and coconut worked into the flour. The only real difficulty is the closing shorthand, which assumes you already know the book's basic bun method.
- "Proceed as in making other buns"Let the kneaded dough rise until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, knock it back, divide into 12 to 16 pieces, shape into rounds and let them prove on a greased sheet until puffy, roughly 40 minutes. Bake at 375-400F for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bottoms sound hollow.
- Compressed yeastCake sizes varied, but a small cake was in the region of 0.6 to 2/3 oz of fresh yeast, near enough to substitute 2 1/4 teaspoons (one packet) of active dry or instant yeast. Fresh yeast needs the water merely lukewarm, around 100F; much hotter and it is damaged.
- A pound of flourWeigh it if you can. A pound of whole-wheat flour is about 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups scooped, and this dough is on the stiff side, so expect to add water a spoonful at a time if it will not come together smoothly.
- The sugarThe quarter cup of sugar is listed but never assigned a step. Beat it into the liquid mixture with the yolks and salt so it dissolves before it meets the flour.
- Shredded cocoanutThis means unsweetened dried coconut, not the sweetened flaked coconut sold for cakes today. Sweetened coconut will push the buns noticeably sweeter and brown faster.
- Candied orange peelCut it small, as directed, and toss it through the flour before wetting it. Coating the pieces in flour keeps them from clumping or sinking during the rise.
- Whole-wheat riseWhole-wheat dough rises more slowly and less dramatically than white, and the bran cuts the gluten. Knead a full 8 to 10 minutes and judge the rise by feel rather than by height.
- YieldAbout a dozen to sixteen buns, best the day they are baked; the yolks and oil keep them soft for a second day.