Blueberry Buns

Some of my earliest childhood memories revolve around my Grandma's baking.  I can still taste those delicious chocolate chip cookies that she would often bring over in a very special gold tin that she used for years and years to transport baking back and forth from our house to hers. 

Every year around my Grandma's birthday in October I try and bake something that reminds me of her and it has become a sweet tradition for Sydney and I together so when Sydney's Grandma, her beloved Bubbie, passed away this past fall I knew that we needed to carry on this same tradition for her birthday in July.

We are a little late in honouring Bubbie with our baking but this morning Sydney and I made a batch of blueberry buns, Bubbie's famous sweet buns filled with fresh blueberry filling that she made faithfully every summer with blueberries that she fetched straight from the farm.

With our visit to Emma Lea Farms to pick berries yesterday I knew that we were meant to make this very special treat.

Sydney was such a great helper, rolling out the dough, mixing the blueberry filling, pinching the buns shut and doing the egg wash over top before they went in the oven.  It was a very special morning together and they turned out super well, I was impressed!

Here's the recipe so that I can remember it in the years to come as pieced together by many phone calls and e-mails with Sydney's Auntie Elaine:

Blueberry Buns

Sweet Dough:

4.5 tsp dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1.5 tsp salt
5 cups flour
3 eggs

Mix yeast with warm water in a medium bowl and set aside for ten minutes.  In a small saucepan heat milk, shortening, sugar and salt until warm.  Pour into large mixing bowl of stand mixer.  Beat in 2 cups of flour until well mixed.  Add yeast and eggs.  Beat well, scrape sides of bowl.  Add flour in 1/2 cup increments until you've added the full five cups and a soft dough forms.  Turn out onto floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes.  Place in a greased bowl, turn to grease top too.  Cover and let rise for 30-45 minutes.

Filling:

5 cups blueberries
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Mix together in large bowl.

When dough has risen roll out and cut into circles.  Heap a bunch of blueberries in the middle then pinch bun together followed by final pinch and roll over of the dough on the top to ensure the bun is well sealed so the filling doesn't ooze out while baking.

Place on parchment lined cookie sheets and allow to rise for about 10-15 minutes.   Brush on an egg wash (one egg yolk with 1 TBSP of water mixed together) before baking in 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.  Cool well before eating.

I made 16 in total this year but they were pretty huge!  The recipe should probably make closer to 20 or more even if you made them smaller.