My gluten free iced buns are the perfect treat! Sticky, sweet buns with a thick icing on top - just like the iced buns from the bakery! This recipe makes four large buns but you could make eight smaller ones - see recipe notes.
Measure out the milk into a small pan and warm it on a very low heat until it is at skin temperature - i.e. you can't really feel the heat when you dip your finger in. Remove from the heat and pour into a jug.
Stir the sugar into the warm milk and until dissolved, then add the yeast and stir again. Leave in a warm spot for 5-10 minutes for the yeast to activate. It should form a lovely froth on top when it's ready.
Add the gluten free bread flour, xanthan gum and salt to a large mixing bowl and stir to mix together.
In a separate mug or bowl, add the eggs, oil and vinegar and lightly whisk to combine.
Once the yeast/milk mixture is active (frothy), add it to the flour along with the egg/oil mixture. Using a wooden spoon, beat the mixture together vigorously to combine it into a thick, sticky dough.
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Using two spoons, roughly 'dollop' a quarter of the bread mixture onto the tray (approx 112g of mix) into a rough, sausage-like shape. Wet your hands with cold water and carefully shape the mixture into a roll-like shape (see blog post above for photos). Repeat with the rest of the mixture so you have 4 rolls of dough in a row, around 1-2 cm apart from each other.
Cover the tray with oiled clingfilm and then leave in a warm spot to prove. It will take about an hour and the rolls should almost double in size and be touching each other.
When the dough has nearly proved, preheat the oven to 200'C / Fan 180'C / Gas Mark 6. Remove the clingfilm and brush the tops of the dough with the melted butter. Place the tin in the centre of the oven.
Bake for around 20-25 minutes until the tops of the buns are golden brown. If you find the buns go brown too quickly, cover with some tinfoil. Once baked, remove from the oven and leave to cool for around half an hour.
Once the buns have cooled, mix the icing sugar with the water to form a thick paste which is just spreadable. Add the water a little at a time until you get the desired consistency.
Spread the icing over the buns in a thick layer and leave to set before eating.
Video
Notes
I have made these iced buns in a small batch of four as they are best eaten fresh on the day of making.
If you'd rather make 8 smaller iced buns, carry out the steps as above but bake for 15-20 minutes - keep an eye on them and remove once they're golden brown and cooked through.