Walnut Buns

A plain enriched yeast dough with walnuts worked through it, given in weights and leaning on an earlier currant-bun entry for method. The gaps are easy to fill.

• The cross-reference"Proceed as in making currant buns" points back to an earlier worked method, which for a dough of this kind would be the straight-dough sequence: dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water, mix in sugar, salt, oil and flour, knead until smooth, rise until doubled, shape into buns, prove, bake. Adding the nuts at the end of kneading keeps them from tearing the gluten.
• Flour by weightOne pound is roughly 3 1/2 to 4 cups of white flour, depending how it is scooped. Weigh it if you can; the dough is on the stiff side at roughly 58 percent hydration and a cup-measured pound can run well over and turn it dry.
• The yeast cakeCompressed yeast cakes were sold in several sizes; the small retail cake is 0.6 ounce. Substitute one packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) of active dry or instant yeast, the usual modern equivalent for a pound of flour.
• Water temperatureLukewarm means about 100-110F for compressed or active dry yeast. Above 120F you start killing it, and the fat and sugar here already slow the rise.
• Oven heatThe original gives none. Bake at 375-400F for 15-20 minutes, until the tops are deep gold and a bun sounds hollow underneath.
• Toast the walnutsThree ounces of raw walnut pieces will taste flat and slightly tannic inside a sweet dough. Ten minutes at 350F before chopping sharpens the flavour and drives off surface moisture.
• TimingExpect roughly 1 to 1 1/2 hours for the first rise and 30 to 45 minutes for the shaped buns, longer with whole-wheat, which ferments faster but rises lower. Judge by volume rather than the clock.
• YieldA pound of flour makes about 12 buns of 2 1/2 ounces each, or 16 smaller ones for a tea table.