Homemade Spelt Belgian Buns with Lemon Icing
These spelt Belgian buns are made in a bread machine and topped with the most divine, lemony-sour icing known to man.
Belgian buns are popular in the UK. You can’t walk past a bakery without turning to look at their magnificence. They are invariably huge; so big they are virtually impossible to ignore, and even harder to eat a whole one yourself (and coming from me, that’s saying something).
My spelt Belgian buns are a little more on the modest side. Not so big that you feel 10lbs sliding on to your body but big enough to satisfy you.
From what I can deduct, Belgian buns have diddly squat to do with Belgium. If any of my readers are from Belgium, I would love a little clarification. They perhaps do exist but aren’t called Belgian buns. A bit like “Swedish meatballs” that bear absolutely no resemblance at all to what we actually eat here in Sweden.
If I were to describe these spelt Belgian buns, I would say that they have a similar texture and swirl to a cinnamon bun, just without the cinnamon. These are obviously made with spelt flour but as I always say, you would never know.
Despite their wide availability in the UK, there are very few recipes for Belgian buns. So, I went with what I thought would work, trying to replicate the flavours I remember. And if I say so myself: a job well done. We certainly weren’t disappointed.
If you like these, check out my other bread machine recipes.
Homemade Spelt Belgian Buns with Lemon Icing
Ingredients
Buns:
- 150 ml milk
- 7 g dried yeast
- 50 g butter
- 2 eggs
- 400 g white spelt flour (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar or essence
- ½ teaspoon salt
Filling:
- 25 g butter melted
- zest of one lemon
- 100 g raisins or sultanas
Icing:
- 200 g icing sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
- touch of milk if needed
- glacé cherries
Instructions
- Add all bun ingredients to your bread machine and set it to make dough, as per manufacturer's instructions.
- When ready, line or grease two large baking trays and pre-heat the oven to 190°C. Flour a surface well (the dough will be sticky but don't panic) and quickly work the flour into the dough until you have a pliable dough you can work with.
- Roll out into a large rectangle shape (aim for about 45cm x 55cm as a rough guide). Melt the butter and then brush it all over the dough.
- Sprinkle your raisins over the top (leaving about ½ inch all the way round the edge) and sprinkle over the zest. With the shorter side in front of you carefully roll the dough, making sure you pull it tight as you go.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into thin slices (you should get 14-18 buns, depending on how big they are). Pinch any edges together and use your hands to shape them into circles (they will already be round, but might need a little more shaping). Place them on the baking tray with plenty of space between.
- Bake for around 10-14 minutes, just until golden (do not overbake - they are ready when the bottoms sound hollow when tapped. Too much cooking will result in dry buns).
- Remove them from the oven, pop onto a wire rack, and allow to cool completely.
- In the meantime, prepare the icing - combine the icing sugar with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Gradually add more until a thick icing comes together. If it is still too thick, add a touch of milk (very small amounts at a time). Spread over the buns and place a glacé cherry on top of each one.
Notes
