Helen Goh’s recipe for blackcurrant and vanilla finger buns | The sweet spot

Everyone loves an iced finger bun, but these light and moist bakes with a blackcurrant fondant topping might be your new favourite afternoon treat

Soft, feather-light and topped with a thick strip of icing: few things are as irresistible to me as an iced finger bun. Here, I’ve flavoured the fondant with blackcurrant jam, which lends a gentle tartness to balance the sweetness, though almost any good-quality jam will work. A simple tanzhong (a cooked flour-and-milk paste) gives the buns their wonderfully fluffy crumb and keeps them soft for longer. For a more indulgent version, split the buns along the top and fill with whipped cream and a spoonful of jam instead. They’re best assembled just before serving, and make a particularly lovely afternoon treat.

Blackcurrant and vanilla finger buns

Prep 10 min
Prove 2 hr+
Cook 1 hr 15 min
Makes 12

For the dough
270ml whole milk
7g dried instant yeast
400g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
50g caster sugar
1 large egg, lightly whisked
¾ tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp vanilla paste
60g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and softened, plus a little extra for greasing

For the blackcurrant fondant
70g blackcurrant (or other) jam
180g icing sugar, sifted
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tiny pinch fine sea salt
1-2 tsp hot water, as needed

Pour the milk into a small saucepan and heat gently until just lukewarm. Measure 140ml into the bowl of a stand mixer, stir in the yeast and leave until bubbly.

Meanwhile, whisk the remaining milk in the pan with 25g of the flour, then cook, whisking constantly, on a medium heat for about five minutes, until it thickens into a smooth paste. Set aside to cool until just warm.

Whisk the milk and yeast mix, then add the remaining 375g flour, the sugar, egg, salt, vanilla and the cooled milk/flour mix. Attach the dough hook and mix on low speed for about three minutes, until it turns into a rough dough. Turn up the speed to medium, add the butter a few cubes at a time and mix for eight to 10 minutes in total, scraping the base and sides of the bowl occasionally, until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough should start to pull away from the sides of the bowl while still feeling soft and slightly tacky. Transfer the dough to a large, lightly greased bowl, cover and leave in a warm place for one to two hours, until doubled in size.

Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Turn out the dough on to a lightly floured work surface and weigh it. Divide the total by 12, then cut the dough into 12 equal 60g pieces. Shape each one into a tight ball by pulling the edges into the centre and pinching to seal underneath. Put the balls seam-side down on your worktop and, using lightly cupped hands, roll until smooth. Gently roll each ball back and forth to form neat, 12cm-long logs; if you like, taper the ends slightly.

Arrange the buns on the lined tray, leaving about 3cm between them (they’ll expand and just meet as they bake, which helps keep the sides soft). Cover loosely and leave to prove for an hour, until risen and puffy.

Heat the oven to 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5, then bake the buns for 15 minutes, rotating the tray once halfway, until lightly golden. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the fondant. Warm the jam gently until loosened, then pass it through a fine sieve – you should have about 50g. Whisk in the sifted icing sugar, lemon juice and salt, until smooth, then add just enough water to make a thick, spreadable fondant. Transfer to a shallow bowl wide enough to dip the buns into.

Dip the top of each cooled bun into the fondant, allowing any excess to drip back into the bowl, then put on a rack for the icing to set before serving.