Scruffins
Makes 12 / Prep 2 ½ hours / Cook 25 mins / Begin recipe 1 day ahead
Before you get angry at me, I'm getting you to start these one day in advance to make it easier. Trust me, this means the work happens as it sits in the fridge and chills overnight. The next morning it's a quick knockback, butter splash, spice dust, roll and cut and then they're sitting all over again for two hours to come to room temp. Perfect timing for morning tea. The active prep involved in these is actually quite minimal. It's about cooking smart, not hard, remember! Also, the citric acid in the icing makes it taste like sherbet!
Sam Parish's scruffins Photo: supplied
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 1 1⁄4 cups (310ml) lukewarm milk
- 1⁄2 cup (110g) caster sugar
- 11⁄2 tsp dried yeast
- 1 egg
- 150g butter, melted
- 4 cups (600g) plain flour
- 1/3 cup (50g) milk powder
For the filling:
- 50g butter, melted
- 1/3 cup (80g) firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground cardamom
For the icing:
- 1 cup (120g) icing sugar
- 1⁄4 tsp citric acid
- 2-3 tbsp milk
Method
Note: The dough can chill in the fridge for up to 24 hours, just keep an eye on how it rises. Knock it back with a rolling pin if it gets out of control - and by that, I mean it doubles in size.
To make the dough, combine the lukewarm milk, caster sugar and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl. Stand for 5 minutes without mixing until the yeast dissolves. Add remaining ingredients and mix with the dough hook for 6-8 minutes, or until the dough forms a smooth ball. Alternatively, knead with your hands - but this can take a little bit longer.
Roll out the dough to a 1cm thick rectangle (roughly 32cm x 22cm). Place on a baking tray and cover with cling film or a damp tea towel. Chill for 12 hours or overnight.
The next day, line a muffin tray with muffin cases. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and cardamom.
Brush dough slab with melted butter and sprinkle a layer of sugar mixture across dough evenly. Carefully roll up from one of the the long sides to create a tight sausage then cut into 12 and add to muffin cases, spiral facing up. Cover and set aside in a warm place for 2 hours, to reach room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 190°C fan forced. Add a splash of water to the bottom of the oven, to create steam.
Bake the scruffins for 20-25 minutes, or until golden, risen and cooked through. Stand for 15 minutes to cool slightly. Combine icing sugar, citric acid and milk in a bowl, adding extra as needed to get the right consistency. Spoon over scuffins, and serve warm (this is non-negotiable - always serve warm).
Use it up: If you've got an old lonely apple or two in need of a home, feel free to coarsely grate it and scatter it across the dough before you roll it up and cut it. Apple scruffins are the next best thing to scruffins.