Milk and Honey Braided Buns with Dried Fruit and Pearl Sugar

Milk and Honey Braided Buns with Dried Fruit and Pearl Sugar | Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

We’ve made plenty of delicious holiday breads here on our site (Christmas Stollen, Brioche Cake with Sugared Cranberries, Pumpkin Spice Monkey Bread, and Panettone, just to name a few), and we’re going to add one more to the line up: Milk and Honey Braided Buns. Studded with dried fruit and topped with pearl sugar, these little braids are a lovely addition to any Christmas breakfast or New Years’ Brunch.

Milk and Honey Braided Buns with Dried Fruit | Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Milk and Honey Braided Buns with Dried Fruit and Pearl Sugar

From The New Healthy Bread in Five Minutes A Day, page 337

4 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated yeast
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
2 cups milk
2 cups lukewarm water
1/3 cup honey
2 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup dried fruit (eg., golden raisins, cranberries, and candied orange peel)
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water) for brushing on the loaf
Pearl sugar, for sprinkling

Whisk together the flours, yeast, salt, and vital wheat gluten.

Combine the remaining ingredients and mix them with the dry ingredients until combined.

Cover (not airtight) and allow the dough to rest at room temperature until it rises and collapses, about 2 hours.

The dough can be used immediately after its initial rise, though it is easier to handle when it is cold. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 5 days.

Milk and Honey Braided Bun Dough| Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

On baking day: Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 2-pound piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom, rotating the ball a quarter turn as you go.

Measuring Milk and Honey Braided Bun Dough | Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Cut the dough into 3-4 ounces pieces (I made mine 4 ounces each).

Milk and Honey Braided Buns with Dried Fruit | Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Cut each piece into thirds. Stretch each piece into thin ropes, and braid the dough.

Milk and Honey Braided Buns with Dried Fruit | Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Tuck the ends under and pinch them together. Place the buns on a baking sheet and let rest for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375F.

Brushing Milk and Honey Braided Buns with egg wash | Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Brush each bun with egg wash.

Milk and Honey Braided Buns with Pearl Sugar | Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Sprinkle the tops with pearl sugar.

Milk and Honey Braided Buns with Dried Fruit | Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Bake for about 25 minutes. Serve slightly warm with butter, cheese, or jam.

Milk and Honey Braided Buns with Dried Fruit | Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

11 thoughts to “Milk and Honey Braided Buns with Dried Fruit and Pearl Sugar”

  1. LOOKS GREAT I CAN’T BUY THE VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN HERE IN COSTA RICA, CAN YOU SUGGEST HOW I ADJUST THIS RECIPE?
    THANKS!

    1. Hi Myriam,

      You’ll want to decrease the water by 1/2 cup and keep everything else as it is written. The dough will not store for quite as long without the vital wheat gluten.

      Thanks, Zoë

  2. Merry Christmas and happy Hanukkah! I made these this morning, after making the dough last night. I added golden raisins, dried cranberries and candied orange peel. Although not quite as pretty as Sarah’s, they were very good! Thank you for posting this, as well as all the other recipes, and for answering all our questions. Wishing you all the best in the new year.

  3. Hi. I have a houseguest coming who can eat butter, but no other dairy products. Do you think I can successfully substitute non-dairy milk for dairy milk in any of your recipes?

    Thanks!
    Ingrid

  4. I am wondering about the use of milk in your recipes with the long initial rise, and then a second rise after that. I have a recipe for an oatmeal bread I make in my bread machine that I have been trying to convert to your technique, but I have been scared to try using milk in the liquid, as I have had the best results in the flavor without refrigerating the dough. Would it be bad to have milk sit out at room temperature for 2 hours for the first rise, and then 60 minutes after that for the second rise after shaping the loaves? It would probably be 2/3 milk and 1/3 water, but I could do different proportions. Thanks so much!

  5. I have a question about the initial 2 hr rise. What’s the significance of it? Why does the dough have to risecabs fall before refrigeration?

    If I were to let it rest/rise for 30 mins to and hour then refrigerate, what’s the harm?

    Or, if I were to mix and refrigerate almost immediately, will the bread not rise? Will the ingredients not meld together?

    1. Hi Grace,

      The yeast is activated by liquid, warmth and starch. Once you add the water the yeast start to feed on the starch (starch from flour) and it needs to be in a warm (not hot) environment or the yeast go dormant. If you don’t give the yeast enough time, the dough will not rise well or have the flavor you want. Once the yeast is done doing its job is when the dough flattens out on top. You can put it in the refrigerator after 2 hours even if it hasn’t flattened and the residual warmth will allow the yeast to keep working.

      Thanks, Zoë

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