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Christmas Buns

A festive way to serve your garlic bread rolls at Christmas. These buns are fluffy, buttery, packed with garlic and absolutely delicious. 

I love fussing around Christmas. Having said this I also love a simple dish that can be served at the table. It looks festive and delicious but also doesn’t take much time or effort to make. These Christmas buns look like they are a lot of effort and time consuming but trust me when I say they are the easiest buns you’ll make. If you have the patience and time, arrange them as a little tree and make them look festive. 

I have made this bread recipe so many times before and it works like a charm. I absolutely love it. I have used a simple garlic butter to make these buns and you can make these buns are individual rolls as well instead of making it into a tree but I find this so festive and perfect for the season.

What ingredients do you need to make these Christmas Buns?

To make the dough we need flour, instant dry yeast, sugar, salt, yogurt, butter and milk. I like to brush the buns with cream before baking to get that golden brown color. For the garlic butter we need garlic, butter, parsley, oregano, salt and a little pepper. 

What substitutes can you use to make these Christmas Buns?

If you are using active dry yeast, it will work the same as instant dry yeast. Also, if you are using fresh yeast, use half the amount in place of the dry yeast. I have used full fat yogurt in the dough which makes it very tender but you could use any yogurt including vegan yogurt as well. You can also use sour cream in place of the yogurt. The recipe calls for full fat milk but you can any milk you have or even buttermilk. I have used melted butter in this recipe but you can use olive oil to keep this recipe vegan. The flavor is delicious. 

I wouldn’t suggest any substitutes with this garlic butter but you could use any herbs you like. I love parsley and oregano however rosemary, thyme or even sage are delicious options. 

What equipment do you need to make these Christmas Buns?

You can make these buns in a large mixing and your hands but I would recommend using a stand mixer with hook attachment. It comes together much faster in the machine. I would suggest a dough scraper or knife to portion the dough. A little cling film to cover the bowl while it rises. I baked these buns on a tray lined with baking paper. 

How to make these Christmas Buns?

We start by blooming the yeast in warm milk, with the sugar. Let this get frothy and double in size. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment add the flour, salt, yogurt and pour in the yeast mixture. Mix for 2-4 minutes until combined and almost smooth. If you are doing this by hand it will take around 8 mins. Add the butter at this stage and mix on low for 10 mins. The mixture will look like it is not going to come together but be patient. It will come together. Do not rush this step. If you are making it by hand, this step will take around 15 mins. Once the dough is smooth, cover with cling film and let it rise for 30-40 mins. 

After the dough has doubled in size, knock the dough back and portion into 15 pieces. Roll 13 pieces into balls and place on a baking tray, starting with 6 at the bottom, 4 on top, 2 on top of that and finished with 1 ball. You should have something that resembles a tree. With the remaining two balls, roll one into a little log to create the tree “stalk” and with the last ball cut out a star shape for the top. Let this rise for 10 mins, covered and in the meantime preheat the oven to 180℃. To make the garlic butter, in a bowl add the soft butter, minced garlic, dried oregano, freshly chopped parley, salt and pepper – stir to combine and set aside. Brush the buns with cream and bake for 20-25 mins until golden. 

Half way through the baking we brush the buns with the garlic butter and finish baking them in the oven. Once they are done, brush the remaining butter on top and let them cool down a little before serving. Serve in the baking tray or transfer with the baking paper to a wooden board. 

How to store these Christmas Buns?

Once they are made, the buns store well in an air tight container at room temperature for 5 days. In the fridge for over a week and they can be frozen for up to 1 month. Also, these buns can be reheated int he microwave for a few seconds until soft and fluffy again. You can make these buns ahead of time by mixing the dough and placing it in the fridge overnight. The next day you can shape them and bake as suggested. 

Tip –

Make more of the garlic butter so you have a little butter to spread over the bread if needed while serving. 

Now that we have covered how to make these Christmas Buns, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it. Don’t forget to follow along for more holiday baking recipe inspiration. 

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.

Christmas Buns

A festive way to serve your garlic bread rolls at Christmas. These buns are fluffy, buttery, packed with garlic and absolutely delicious.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Rest Time 1 hour
Course Appetizer, Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Side Dish, tea time
Cuisine American
Servings 15 Buns

Equipment

  • Stand mixer
  • Hook attachment
  • Cling film
  • Baking paper
  • Dough scraper/Knife
  • Baking tray

Ingredients
  

Dough-

  • 220 ml warm milk
  • 30 gm sugar
  • 15 gm yeast
  • 30 gm yogurt
  • 410 gm flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 90 gm butter melted

Butter-

  • 50 gm butter soft
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper powder

Instructions
 

  • We start by blooming the yeast in warm milk, with the sugar. Let this get frothy and double in size.
  • In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment add the flour, salt, yogurt and pour in the yeast mixture. Mix for 2-4 minutes until combined and almost smooth. If you are doing this by hand it will take around 8 mins.
  • Add the butter at this stage and mix on low for 10 mins. The mixture will look like it is not going to come together but be patient. It will come together. Do not rush this step. If you are making it by hand, this step will take around 15 mins. Once the dough is smooth, cover with cling film and let it rise for 30-40 mins.
  • After the dough has doubled in size, knock the dough back and portion into 15 pieces. Roll 13 pieces into balls and place on a baking tray, starting with 6 at the bottom, 4 on top, 2 on top of that and finished with 1 ball. You should have something that resembles a tree. With the remaining two balls, roll one into a little log to create the tree “stalk” and with the last ball cut out a star shape for the top. Let this rise for 10 mins, covered and in the meantime preheat the oven to 180℃.
  • To make the garlic butter, in a bowl add the soft butter, minced garlic, dried oregano, freshly chopped parley, salt and pepper - stir to combine and set aside. Brush the buns with cream and bake for 20-25 mins until golden.
  • Half way through the baking we brush the buns with the garlic butter and finish baking them in the oven. Once they are done, brush the remaining butter on top and let them cool down a little before serving. Serve in the baking tray or transfer with the baking paper to a wooden board.

Notes

  • Once they are made, the buns store well in an air tight container at room temperature for 5 days. In the fridge for over a week and they can be frozen for up to 1 month.

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