Peanut Sugar Morning Buns
 
 
Makes 6 large buns
Ingredients
Peanut sugar:
  • ½ cup skinless peanuts
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
Dough:
  • ½ cup lukewarm water
  • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast, divided
  • 2¼ cups all-purpose flour, divided
  • ¼ cup light or dark brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons warm milk
Butter filling:
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Instructions
Make the peanut sugar:
  1. Toast the peanuts in a fry pan over medium-low heat until slightly golden. Transfer to a bowl and freeze for at least 30 minutes; this will prevent the peanuts from turning into butter when processed.
  2. In a food processor, pulse the cold peanuts and granulated sugar until finely ground. Set aside.
Make the dough and butter filling:
  1. In a medium bowl, combine the warm water, ¼ teaspoon yeast and 1 cup flour. Set aside for 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare the butter filling. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat the cold butter and flour on low speed. Increase to medium speed and beat until creamy. Transfer the butter filling to a small bowl and set aside.
  3. Continue making the dough by adding remaining ¾ teaspoon yeast and 1¼ cups flour, brown sugar, salt, and milk to the water/yeast/flour mixture. Stir everything until it comes together to form a shaggy ball. Then knead the dough by hand (or with a dough hook attachment) until it's smooth and elastic - this will take about 10 minutes (less if using a stand mixer).
  4. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough with more flour and press into a 12″x10″ rectangle. Then roll it out lengthwise to about 20″ long.
  5. Dot the butter filling evenly over the dough and gently smear in an even layer all the way to the edges.
  6. Using a bench scraper, mark out the length of the dough into 6 equal parts. Lift one side up and fold it over 5 times until you get to the end of the dough. Gently pinch the seams together and turn the dough 90 degrees. Use a wooden skewer or toothpick to poke a few holes in the dough; this will allow the trapped air to escape in the second rolling.
  7. Roll the dough out again lengthwise to about 20″ long. Using a bench scraper, mark out the length of the dough into 6 equal parts. Lift one side up and fold it over 5 times until you get to the end of the dough.
  8. Place the dough on a flour-dusted baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Shape and bake the buns:
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and roll it out into a 12″x10″ rectangle. Sprinkle ½ cup of peanut sugar in an even layer over the top of the dough and then roll it up lengthwise into a long log. Use a serrated knife to cut the dough into 6 2″-wide segments.
  3. Butter 6 jumbo muffin cups and coat with peanut sugar. Place the segments into the muffin cups, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until the dough is slightly puffed, 1-2 hours.
  4. Bake for 30 minutes until golden. Remove the buns from the muffin cups and let cool completely. Then roll the buns in more peanut sugar and serve.
Recipe by Two of a Kind at http://www.twoofakindcooks.com/peanut-sugar-morning-buns/