Speculaas Spiced Scrolls
Being Afrikaans, speculaas spice feels awfully familiar and pairs well (in my opinion anyway) with these sweet, sticky buns.
The speculaas spice blend included in this recipe is my take on the delicious, warming spice. Feel free to adjust the spices as you see fit or use a ready made speculaas spice mix.
For the dough, you might think the first step is bonkers but making a ‘yudane’ bread improver is really worth it (and it is not much extra work or dishes) - it helps achieve a soft, fluffy texture and makes the baked scrolls keep fresher for longer. You can use plain/cake/all-purpose flour in a pinch, but high grade/bread flour gives a slightly fluffier result. You can use salted butter, just omit the additional salt in the recipe. The baked scrolls freeze well (in an airtight container) for up to three months.
See the dough making clip here:
Alana Smith (@alanasmithsweetphotography) • Instagram photos and videos
Enough for 9 large or 12 medium scrolls
BREAD IMPROVER
high grade/bread flour, 50g (80ml or 1/3 cup)
boiling water, 50g (50ml - just under 1/4 cup)
MAIN DOUGH INGREDIENTS
unsalted butter, 50g
milk (whole/full fat), 250g (250ml or 1 cup)
instant dry yeast, 8g (10ml or 2 teaspoons)
egg, 1
high grade/bread flour, 450g (750ml or 3 cups)
caster sugar, 100g (125ml or 1/2 cup)
fine salt, 2.5ml (½ teaspoon)
SPECULAAS SPICE MIX
ground cinnamon, 45ml (3 tablespoons)
ground mixed spice, 2.5ml (1/2 teaspoon)
ground ginger, 2.5ml (1/2 teaspoon)
ground nutmeg, 2.5ml (1/2 teaspoon)
ground cloves, 2.5ml (1/2 teaspoon)
ground cardamom, 1.25ml (1/4 teaspoon)
ground coriander, 1.25ml (1/4 teaspoon)
ground white pepper, 1.25ml (1/4 teaspoon)
FILLING
unsalted butter, 100g
brown sugar, 110g (125ml or 1/2 cup)
speculaas spice, 30ml (2 tablespoons)
EGG WASH
egg, 1
VANILLA GLAZE
icing sugar, about 80g (125ml or 1/2 cup)
milk, about 15ml (1 tablespoon)
vanilla (extract or paste), 5ml (1 teaspoon)
To make the dough, place the first measurement of flour (50g or 1/3 cup) in a medium heatproof bowl then add the boiling water - stir using a spoon to combine (it will be a stiff dough mixture). Set aside until needed.
Place the butter (roughly chopped, to make it melt faster) and milk in a medium heatproof bowl (or saucepan) and heat in the microwave (or on the stove) until all the butter has melted and the mixture feels warm. You want this mixture warm but not hot (or it will kill the yeast - if it feels really hot, leave it for a bit to cool to a warm temperature - around 30 - 40°C if you have a thermometer).
Place the yeast in a large mixing bowl (I use a free-standing mixer for ease, but not essential). Add the lukewarm butter and milk mixture followed by the egg then stir a little with a spoon or whisk to dissolve the yeast.
Add the flour, caster sugar and salt on top.
Mix together using a free-standing electric mixer fitted with a dough hook (slow speed) or by hand for a couple of minutes until the mixture comes together in a sticky dough.
Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead the dough by hand for a couple of minutes.
Do not be tempted to add any extra flour even if the dough feels a really sticky at first (otherwise the buns will be dry once baked).
Once the dough feels elastic, form it into a ball and place it back into the mixing bowl. Cover with a clean tea towel.
You can check whether the dough is elastic enough by doing the ‘windowpane test’ by taking a small portion of dough and stretch it into a square with your fingers. The dough should stick together and appear mostly transparent, like a window. If the dough breaks very quickly, the gluten strands are too weak and more kneading is needed.
Leave the dough to prove at room temperature (or in a warm spot) until double in size (it takes a few of hours - about 3 - 4 hours depending on the weather). See the recommended TIMELINES above.
To prepare the speculaas spice mix, combine all the ground spices in an airtight jar and shake well.
Once the dough has doubled in size, make the filling by softening the butter (in a medium size bowl in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove on a low heat) then add the brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of the speculaas spice mix. Mix until a smooth, spreadable paste.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape it with your hands into a rectangle.
Roll it out (keeping the rectangular shape) to a thickness of about 5mm.
Spread the spice paste all over the rolled-out dough (right up to the edges).
If the spice paste feels too firm to spread, softened it for a few seconds (only) in the microwave until spreadable but not melted (it makes it too difficult to work with).
If it is melted, just leave it to firm up again.
Starting from one of the long sides, roll up the dough into a long log.
Using a sharp knife/dough cutter/dental floss (the irony), divide the dough log into 12 portions.
Place the dough portions swirl side up into a baking tin/tray lined with baking paper, allowing about 1cm space around each scroll.
Don't stress if your dough buns are not particularly pretty or perfectly round at this stage - they do tend to sort themselves out when proving.
Leave the tin at room temperature (or a slightly warm spot) to prove until the buns have doubled in size - approximately 1 hour (or place the tin in the fridge - see TIMELINES below).
When the scrolls are proved, preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
Once proved (the buns should look puffed up, almost the size you envisioned them once baked), brush the top of the proved buns with the egg wash (whisk the egg in a small bowl with a fork).
Bake until golden brown (about 20 - 30 minutes).
While the buns are baking, prepare the glaze by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl.
Once the cinnamon buns are baked, remove the tin from the oven and drizzle the hot buns with the glaze.
Best enjoyed freshly baked or warm slightly in the microwave or oven for a couple of days.
Decorate once cool with a melted chocolate cross if you like.
The baked scrolls can be frozen for up to three months (in an airtight container).
TIMELINES - three different timelines to help you achieved freshly baked scrolls on time:
Ready mid-afternoon (bake the scrolls the same day as when you made the dough):
Prepare the dough around mid-morning
Leave the dough to rest/prove for 3 - 4 hours (in a warm spot)
Roll the dough out, fill, cut and place the scrolls in a baking tin
Rest/prove the scrolls for 1 hour (in a warm spot)
Preheat the oven
Bake for 20 - 30 minutes
Enjoy warm out of the oven around mid-afternoon
Ready early morning (bake the scrolls the next day after having made the dough):
Prepare the dough around mid-morning to midday
Leave the dough to rest/prove for 3 - 4 hours (in a warm spot)
Roll the dough out, fill, cut and place the scrolls in a tin (do this around late mid to afternoon)
Place the scrolls in the fridge until just before you go to bed late at night
Remove the scrolls from the fridge and rest/prove at room temperature overnight (from around 10pm)
Early morning, preheat the oven (around 7am)
Bake for 20 - 30 minutes
Enjoy warm out of the oven for breakfast
Ready mid-morning (bake the scrolls the next day after having made the dough):
Prepare the dough late-afternoon (around 5pm)
Leave the dough to rest/prove for 3 - 4 hours (in a warm spot)
Roll the dough out, fill, cut and place the scrolls in a tin (do this in the evening around 9pm)
Place the tin in the fridge to rest/prove overnight
The next morning (around 8am) remove the tin from the fridge (to allow the scroll dough to return to room temperature - this takes about 20 minutes)
Preheat the oven
Bake for 20 - 30 minutes
Enjoy warm out of the oven for brunch
