The Delicious Antigua Buns You Should Taste!

Buns in Antigua and Barbuda are unique for their salty “tastee cheese” and sweet raisins combination. These delicious treats are famous in the islands because it’s a replacement for bread, which is scarce.

Antigua buns are mostly described as sweet pieces of bread garnished with cheese, syrup, or butter. You can eat them any time of the day year-round; however, the locals bake them, especially at Easter. 

Below is the complete recipe.

READ ALSO: Refreshing Electric Lemonade Recipe – Quick and Easy

How to Bake Antigua and Barbuda Buns

Key Ingredients

• 2 cups bread flour: rich in protein, which helps in improving the texture.
• 1 cup cold milk: milk is rich in vitamins, minerals, and calcium, strengthening your bones. 
• 2 tbsp Yeast: makes the buns rise and expand.
• 3 tbsp brown sugar: sweetens the buns
• ½ tsp Salt: To taste
• 2 tbsp Soft Butter: contains steam that causes the dough to rise.
• A handful of raisins: they are rich in nutrients that reduce the risk of chronic diseases, relieve pain, and lower inflammation.
• ½ tsp cinnamon powder: helps in managing blood sugar and protects your heart from diseases.
• ½ tsp nutmeg: their benefits range from soothing the stomach, relieving stress, and preventing insomnia.
• 1 tbsp vanilla syrup: sweeten and give a luxurious taste to the buns.
• Half cup water

READ ALSO: Ocean Spray Cranberry Bread Recipe – Step-by-Step Guide

Step-by-Step Instructions on How to Make Buns

1. In a big mixing bowl, mix the cold milk, salt, 2 tablespoons of sugar, nutmeg, vanilla syrup, yeast, brown sugar, and cinnamon powder. Mix with a ladle until the sugar dissolves. Add the bread flour.
2. Mix with a scrapper or your hand into a dough.
3. Place the dough on a clean kitchen counter and knead it thoroughly with the heel of your hands. Continue kneading for about 3-5 minutes. Stretch the dough and slap in the soft butter. Press the dough and butter together to mix well. Continue kneading to achieve consistency. You may have a challenge getting the butter to mix with the dough at the beginning but continue kneading.
4. Once you achieve consistency, round the dough and drop it in a clean glass bowl. Pop in your temperature probe to ensure it’s around 26 degrees Celsius. 
5. Cover the dough and allow it to rest for 15-20 minutes for it to ferment.
6. Take the dough from the bowl and place it on a clean kitchen counter or table. Stretch it flat, then add the raisins. Spread the raisins on the dough, pressing them evenly. Fold the dough from each side like a square to hide the raisins. Put the dough back into the glass bowl and cover it to continue fermenting for an hour. 
7. Afterwards, place the dough on the table, punching down on it with your fingers to layer up the raisins. This will also even out the temperature of the dough and your kitchen. 
8. Fold the sides onto each other and fold the top down around. Place it back into the bowl.
9. Cover and allow it to ferment for another hour.
10. Place the dough on the table and divide it into equal parts using a scraper and scales. 
11. Take each piece and round it on the table, using the palm of your hands.
12. Cover the raw buns with a clean film for about 20 minutes. Afterwards, take each piece one after the other and flatten it on the table and round it evenly.
13. Put a non-stick paper onto a baking tray and place the buns on them. Cover with a clean film and allow them to ferment for 2 hours to puff them up.
14. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. 
15. While it’s baking, make the sugar syrup. Simply mix one teaspoon of sugar and the water in a small pot and boil for 3 minutes.
16. When the Antigua buns are out of the oven, brush the top of each with the sugar syrup.
17. Let it cool down before you cut it open. Then slice in some “tastee cheese”.
18. Enjoy your buns.

Antigua and Barbuda buns by ChainBaker- YouTube

Tips for Making Antigua Buns

• Wash your hands thoroughly before starting the baking process, as you will mostly use your hands in the kneading.
• You can enjoy the buns without cheese and still have a sweet snack.
• There’s no need to soak the raisins if you bought them recently.
• After kneading your dough and adding the raisins, if the dough is warm, it will take less time to ferment; however, if it turns out cold, it will take you longer to ferment. As such, always check the temperature to ascertain how long to leave it to ferment.
• You can brush the buns with butter if you don’t like sugar syrup.

READ ALSO How to Make the Perfect Mud Wtr Drink – Recipe and Ingredients

Conclusion

The perfect time to make some Antigua and Barbuda buns is this festive season. Welcome your guests to warm, sweet fluffy buns that stay in their memory forever.

Happy Holidays!