0.3g saffron

A pinch of salt

90g/3oz butter

250ml/8 fl oz milk

60g/2 oz caster sugar

14g dried active yeast

1 egg, lightly beaten

500g/1lb plain flour

Topping & Raisins

Lightly beaten egg


Grind the saffron with the salt in a pestle and mortar
- Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the milk and sugar and heat to just above blood temperature (39°C)
- Pour a little of the warm milk over the dried yeast, stir to dissolve, cover with cling film and leave to sponge for approximately 10 minutes
- Sift most, but not quite all, of the flour into a large mixing bowl. When the yeast is foaming, add it to the flour together with the warm milk, saffron and most of the egg – keep a little for glazing

- Turn the dough out on a floured work surface and knead until elastic, about 10 minutes. The dough should be soft, light and only just dry enough to knead. Don’t be tempted to add too much flour – the more flour you use the drier the buns will be
- Divide the dough in two halves to make it easier to work with. Roll long sausages, about a finger wide and cut into 20cm/7 in lengths. Bend the two ends in opposite directions to for a closed S shape
- Put the saffron buns on non-stick baking sheets, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove for 20-30 minutes
- Pre-heat the oven to 225°/gas mark 7
- Brush with the beaten egg and push a raisin into the centre of each S-bend
- Bake in the middle of the oven for 6 minutes or until lightly browned




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