Olive oil buns and great news

There hasn’t been a new post around here in a good while but there is a good reason for that: my job hunt has come to an end! Days ago I started working in a new company (for those of you who don’t know, I work as an executive assistant) and it was a very busy week – it was all about meeting lots of new people, getting to know how the company works and the details of my job description. I feel really, really happy for having a job again after so many months, so this is a celebration post! \0/

I know that some of you might look away from this recipe because of the many steps, but let me tell you something: these buns are easy peasy and what you really need is a bit of time to spare and a bit of prepping in advance – you don’t have to do much with the dough besides leaving it at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap.

I chose this recipe for today’s post exactly because in life sometimes we need to be patient and wait for the Universe to do its thing – some things can’t be rushed, no matter how anxious or even sad we feel (like I did weeks ago). In this case, I can guarantee that the buns are worth all the hours called for in the recipe: they are delicious and have an amazing texture.

Olive oil buns
slightly adapted from Bread Cake Doughnut Pudding: Sweet And Savoury Recipes From Britain's Best Baker

Ferment:
65g all purpose flour
65g water, room temperature
1g dried yeast

Dough:
200g lukewarm water
pinch of sugar
2g dried yeast
350g all purpose flour
4g table salt
90ml olive oil – I used extra-virgin

Make the ferment: combine the ingredients in a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 24 hours.

Bread: put the water in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk in the yeast and sugar until dissolved, then set aside until it foams, about 5 minutes. Add the ferment, flour and salt, mix on medium speed for 5 minutes or until the dough starts to come away from the sides of the bowl. continue mixing on medium speed and gradually pour in ¼ cup (60ml) of the olive oil, then keep mixing until dough is smooth, glossy and elastic (it will be a very wet dough). Form roughly into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 1 hour (if the day is too cold, leave the oven on so the kitchen is a bit warm).

After 1 hour, using a rubber spatula, mix in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon at a time. Cover again with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 1 hour.

Lightly brush a 12-cup muffin pan with olive oil. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and roll each into a ball, making sure the top is smooth. Place the balls into the prepared muffin pan and let them prove for 1 hour – in the meantime, preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F. Bake the buns for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Cool in the pan over a wire rack for 5 minutes, then carefully unmold and place onto the rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 12