Spelt Summer Berry Buns with Maple, Orange + Cardamom

Vegan, whole grain and refined sugar free yeasted summer berry buns flavored with maple, orange and cardamom. Makes 10-15 buns.Vegan, whole grain and refined sugar free yeasted summer berry buns flavored with maple, orange and cardamom. Makes 10-15 buns.

Is it just me or is time on fast forward these days? I blinked and all of a sudden it was August. 8th! Summer has been full speed ahead this year, and unfortunately we haven’t been very lucky with the weather. Something like 24 days of rain in July had every one around here feeling a little down. My summer wardrobe has pretty much stayed tucked away in the back of my closet, my hike to-do list is nowhere near completed and my summer ice cream cone quota is far below average. It’s been easy to complain about all the rain and clouds, but we’ve also had some of the most beautiful vegetables at the market this season and everything around us is really just so incredibly green! All these grey days have made us appreciate the clear ones and get outside and enjoy it all when the sun actually comes out.

I made these buns on a warm but cloudy day off. Just because. It seemed like the right thing to do. To sit outside, with something sweet, a good book and a cup of tea reminded me that summer is all about slowing down and taking time, no matter what the weather.

An afternoon in the sun, a cool August breeze. Tart, juicy local berries and homegrown chamomile in my tea. Summertime, you still win.

Vegan, whole grain and refined sugar free yeasted summer berry buns flavored with maple, orange and cardamom. Makes 10-15 buns.Spelt Summer Berry Buns with Maple, Orange + Cardamom ⎮ happy hearted kitchen


SPELT SUMMER BERRY BUNS WITH MAPLE, ORANGE + CARDAMOM

This bun recipe is a spin off of my mom’s christmas cinnamon buns that I make every year for holiday gift giving. The dough itself can be used for any flavor or filling, but a mix of local berries in August seemed obvious. If you don’t think your dough has actually doubled in size, just keep going through with the recipe, they puff up the most during the second rise and then especially in the oven. I filled the pan shown in the pictures above, plus a really tiny one with the end bits and a few scraps. Serve with tea on a sunny afternoon.

Vegan + Refined Sugar Free. 10-15 buns.

Ingredients

Dough

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup plant milk of choice, luke warm or at room temperature ( I used homemade unsweetened almond milk)
1 1/2 tablespoon ground flax
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 1/2 cups whole spelt flour, plus extra for dusting

Filling

3 cups mixed berries
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Zest of one orange

Glaze

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice

Instructions

Place maple syrup in a small bowl and sprinkle yeast on top. (If you keep your maple syrup in the fridge or freezer, bring it to room temp first or warm it through on the stove top.) Set aside. Melt coconut oil in a small sauce pot and place over low heat. Swirl the pot as the oil melts to keep it from getting too hot. Once the oil is fully melted from heat and let cool. Add ground flax, salt and nut milk to a large bowl, whisk to combine. Whisk in cooled yet still liquid coconut oil and then maple yeast mixture. Whisk to combine ingredients. Sift in flour 1/2 cup at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula in between. Stir in enough flour to make a firm but sticky dough. Then turn onto a floured surface and knead, adding more flour until the dough is smooth and elastic, you might need more or less flour, up to 3 cups. Form a ball with the dough and place in an oiled bowl and flip the dough to coat in oil. Cover with a dry tea towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1.5 to 2 hours, up to 3 hours.

 

When the dough is ready, combine all the filling ingredients in a large bowl and mix gently with your fingertips careful not to mush up the berries too much.

 

Punch down the dough on a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, then spread over the berries and their juices, leaving a bit of space around the edges. Roll up from the long side, tucking the berries in as you go, once you get close to the egde, pull the long side of the dough up ontp the roll to get everything inside, but you may loose a little juice out the ends. Cut into slices and place in an oiled pan leaving space between the pieces. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about another hour.

 

Preheat oven to 350 F / 175 C and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden on top and firm to the touch. Let cool. Mix maple syrup and orange juice in small bowl and brush over the top of the slightly cooled buns. Top with extra orange zest. Enjoy!

 

Buns can be kept wrapped in aluminium in the freezer, then defrosted overnight and warmed up in the oven the next morning. I like to wrap up individual buns in the freezer for when I am feeling like an extra special treat.


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8 Comments

  • Reply
    dina
    August 9, 2014 at 12:13 am

    great healthy dessert!

    • Reply
      Jodi Kay
      August 11, 2014 at 12:40 pm

      Thanks, Dina! Or breakfast too maybe ;) J x

  • Reply
    Julia | Orchard Street Kitchen
    August 10, 2014 at 1:41 pm

    Hi Jodi! I am happy that I stumbled across your blog! This looks absolutely delicious. Oh, and I’m quite envious that you live in France – I studied abroad in Nantes and miss it so much.

    • Reply
      Jodi Kay
      August 11, 2014 at 12:43 pm

      Hi Juila! Thank you so much for your comment, I am so happy to have found yours now too! I have never been to Nantes, but I haven’t come across an area of France that isn’t beautiful! Hoping to visit the west coast soon! Take care, J x

  • Reply
    growntocook
    August 22, 2014 at 8:32 am

    These look wonderful! I can never resist a cinnamon bun and have made many variations in the past (here is my blueberry cinnamon rolls recipe : http://www.growntocook.com/?p=2719 ). I sometimes use spelt flour, but would like to try your healtier take on the buns too!

    • Reply
      Jodi Kay
      August 22, 2014 at 4:45 pm

      Thank you! Yours looks so delicious too! Nothing like some hot buns :) J x

  • Reply
    Katie M
    August 29, 2014 at 2:05 am

    What a lovely recipe! A great way to celebrate the end of summer – though it really is astonishing how stealthily summer slips by without us noticing until autumn comes creeping in.
    If I don’t have spelt flour, do you think I would have good results if I used whole wheat pastry flour instead?

    • Reply
      Jodi Kay
      August 29, 2014 at 12:33 pm

      Hi Katie! Thank you so much for the lovely comment! I’m sure you could replace whole wheat pastry flour here, they might even turn out lighter and fluffier! Let me know if you give them a try! J x

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