• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

A Mummy Too

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Dietary
  • Holidays
    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Dietary
    • Holidays
    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
  • ร—
    Home ยป Bread recipes

    Green links are Amazon links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Spiced fruit buns recipe

    Jump to Recipe

    Even if you've never made bread before, you'll love this spiced fruit buns recipe, The dough is flavoured with cinnamon, orange and vanilla, enriched with butter and milk and studded with plump mixed fruit to give a beautifully soft and aromatic crumb.

    Sliced spiced fruit buns served on a white plate.

    These spiced buns are great served in all sorts of ways: as they are, toasted with butter, or you could even go down the savoury route with a slice of mature cheese!

    To make them, you'll start by warming milk with orange peel, cinnamon sticks and a vanilla pod, then add butter and leave to let all the flavours infuse into the liquid.

    Side on shot of a finished batch of spiced fruit buns sliced in half on a decorative board.

    Next you'll combine bread flour, yeast, brown sugar and salt and then stir in the liquid to form a lovely soft dough, which you'll knead until smooth, then leave to prove.

    Hand reaching in from the left to grab one of the finished spiced fruit buns.

    Once risen and full of air, you'll knock the dough back and knead in some soaked mixed fruit before dividing the dough into 10 rolls ready for a second prove. After that, it's just a case of brushing with egg until golden brown and smelling incredible.

    Here's what to do to make these soft, delicious spiced fruit buns.

    Ingredients

    For the milk

    • 350 ml (1¾ cups+ 2 tbsp) whole milk
    • 1 orange peeled, avoiding the white pith as much as possible
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 1 vanilla pod split and seeds released
    • 75 g (5 tbsp) salted butter plus extra to grease

    For the dough

    • 500 g (3⅓ cups) strong white bread flour
    • 50 g (5 tbsp) soft light brown sugar
    • 1 ½ tsp (1½ tsp) fast action yeast
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 150 g (¾ cup) dried mixed fruit
    • 1 medium free range eggs lightly beaten

    Equipment

    • Weighing scales
    • Measuring spoons
    • Large mixing bowl
    • Wooden spoon
    • Saucepan
    • Vegetable peeler
    • Seive
    • Dish towel
    • Nonstick baking sheet
    • Parchment/baking paper
    • Wire cooling rack

    Instructions

    Scald and infuse your milk

    Place your milk, orange zest, cinnamon stick and vanilla pod in a small saucepan over a low-medium heat. Bring it almost to boiling point, with steam starting to form and bubbles appearing around the edge of the pan, then take off the heat. Scalding is an important step as milk contains an enzyme that can stop your gluten from developing but you don’t want to boil it as you’ll start to lose liquid. 

    Overhead shot of some of the ingredients for the spiced fruit buns in a pan.

    Add the butter to the milk and leave to cool.

    Overhead shot of a pan filled with the ingredients for spiced fruit buns.

    It mustn’t be too hot when it goes into the dough or it will kill the yeast. “Blood temperature” is ideal, so no more than 37C (98.6F).

    Overhead shot of some of the wet ingredients for the spiced fruit buns mixed together in a pan.

    Strain through a sieve to remove the additions.

    Make your dough

    Put the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl.

    Overhead shot of some of the dry ingredients for the spiced fruit buns dough.

    Stir together.

    Overhead shot of some of the dry ingredients for the spiced fruit buns dough.

    Pour in two thirds of the milk mixture.

    Mixing the wet and dry ingredients together for the dough together in a mixing bowl.

    Stir together. Keep adding the milk little by little to any patches of loose flour until the dough comes together in a clump on the spoon with no loose flour on the bottom.

    Overhead shot of the finished dough in a mixing bowl.

    You might not need all the milk mixture.

    Overhead shot of the finished dough in a mixing bowl.

    Tip the dough on a very lightly floured surface and knead for about 8 minutes, stretching and folding the dough until you have a smooth, elastic texture that springs back when pressed.

    Overhead shot of the dough in the form of a ball used for the spiced fruit buns.

    Form the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and leave to prove in a warm place for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.

    Overhead shot of the spiced fruit buns dough having been left to rise for one to two hours.

    Shape your rolls

    Put the mixed fruit in a small bowl and add freshly boiled water to just cover the contents. Soak for 5 minutes, then drain away any excess. Soaking in this way makes the fruit less prone to burning in the oven.

    Line two trays with baking paper and place clean tea towels on top.

    Tip the dough onto a clean surface.

    Overehad shot of one of the rolls from the dough.

    Press out to about 2.5cm (1 inch) think and then sprinkle the mixed fruit on top.

    Overhead shot of the mixed fruit being added to the top of the spiced fruit buns dough.

    Knead a few times until the fruit is incorporated - try not to overwork the dough more than necessary. 

    Overhead shot of the mixed fruit rolled into the dough balls for the spiced fruit buns.

    Weigh the dough, then divide into 10 equal pieces - mine were 105g (3.7oz) each but it will depend how much liquid you added when making the dough.

    Overhead shot of the spiced fruit buns dough having been split into smaller balls.

    Cover the pieces with a tea towel and let them rest for 10 minutes.

    Close up shot of the cloth covering the spiced fruit buns dough for ten minutes.

    Take a piece of dough and bring the sides up into the middle, pinching to hold. Flip the dough to reveal the smooth side and now press your palms together underneath the dough to create more tension on top. Place on a lined tray under the tea towel. Repeat for all the rolls  

    Overhead shot of the spiced fruit buns dough balls on a baking sheet ontop of a baking tray.

    Leave for in a warm place for about 45 minutes - 1 hour until doubled in size. You can test if they’re fully proved by pressing a finger into one roll in an inconspicuous spot. If it stays dented, the bread has proved.

    Overhead shot of the balls of spiced fruit buns dough having been baste.

    Bake your rolls

    Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan, 350F), then remove the tea towels and brush each roll gently with beaten egg. Avoid getting too much on the brush so that you don’t end up with drips that will show up after baking.

    Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until the rolls turn a gorgeous, golden brown on top and sound hollow when tapped underneath. The rolls on the lower shelf may need a minute or two longer than the ones on the top shelf.

    Overhead shot of the spiced fruit buns having been in the oven.

    Transfer the rolls to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Overhead shot of the spiced fruit buns cooling on the cooling rack.

    They're soft and delicious and taste amazing as they are, or toasted and served warm with butter.

    Side on shot of the finished spiced fruit buns on a decoative white board.

    Store well wrapped in the bread bin to keep them fresh. What did you think of these deliciously spiced fruit buns?

    Side on shot of a finished spiced fruit buns sliced open served on a white plate.

    Print this spiced fruit buns recipe

    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Spiced Fruit Buns Recipe

    Even if you've never made bread before, you'll love this spiced fruit buns recipe. The dough is flavoured with cinnamon, orange and vanilla, enriched with butter and milk and studded with plump mixed fruit to give a beautifully soft and aromatic crumb.
    Prep Time20 minutes mins
    Cook Time25 minutes mins
    Proving time2 hours hrs
    Total Time2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins
    Course: Bread
    Cuisine: British
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Servings: 10 spiced fruit buns
    Author: Emily Leary

    Ingredients

    For the milk

    • 350 ml (1¾ cups+ 2 tbsp) whole milk
    • 1 orange peeled, avoiding the white pith as much as possible
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 1 vanilla pod split and seeds released
    • 75 g (5 tbsp) salted butter plus extra to grease

    For the dough

    • 500 g (3⅓ cups) strong white bread flour
    • 50 g (5 tbsp) soft light brown sugar
    • 1 ½ tsp (1½ tsp) fast action yeast
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 150 g (¾ cup) dried mixed fruit
    • 1 medium free range eggs lightly beaten

    Equipment

    • Weighing scales
    • Measuring spoons
    • Large mixing bowl
    • Wooden spoon
    • Saucepan
    • Vegetable peeler
    • Seive
    • Dish towel
    • Nonstick baking sheet
    • Parchment/baking paper
    • Wire cooling rack

    Instructions

    Scald and infuse your milk

    • Place your milk, orange peel, cinnamon stick and vanilla pod in a small saucepan over a low-medium heat.
    • Bring it almost to boiling point, with steam starting to form and bubbles appearing around the edge of the pan, then take off the heat. Scalding is an important step as milk contains an enzyme that can stop your gluten from developing but you don’t want to boil it as you’ll start to lose liquid.
    • Add the butter to the milk and leave to cool. It mustn’t be too hot when it goes into the dough or it will kill the yeast. “Blood temperature” is ideal, so no more than 37C (98.6F).
    • Strain through a sieve to remove the additions.

    Make your dough

    • Put the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Stir together.
    • Pour in two thirds of the milk mixture and stir together. Keep adding the milk little by little to any patches of loose flour until the dough comes together in a clump on the spoon with no loose flour on the bottom. You might not need all the milk mixture.
    • Tip the dough on a very lightly floured surface and knead for about 8 minutes, stretching and folding the dough until you have a smooth, elastic texture that springs back when pressed.
    • Form the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and leave to prove in a warm place for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.

    Shape your rolls

    • Put the mixed fruit in a small bowl and add freshly boiled water to just cover the contents. Soak for 5 minutes, then drain away any excess. Soaking in this way makes the fruit less prone to burning in the oven.
    • Line two trays with baking paper and place clean tea towels on top.
    • Tip the dough onto a clean surface, press out to about 2.5cm (1 inch) think and then sprinkle the mixed fruit on top. Knead a few times until the fruit is incorporated - try not to overwork the dough more than necessary.
    • Weigh the dough, then divide into 10 equal pieces - mine were 105g (3.7oz) each but it will depend how much liquid you added when making the dough.
    • Cover the pieces with a tea towel and let them rest for 10 minutes.
    • Take a piece of dough and bring the sides up into the middle, pinching to hold. Flip the dough to reveal the smooth side and now press your palms together underneath the dough to create more tension on top. Place on a lined tray under the tea towel.
    • Repeat for all the rolls
    • Leave for in a warm place for about 45 minutes - 1 hour until doubled in size. You can test if they’re fully proved by pressing a finger into one roll in an inconspicuous spot. If it stays dented, the bread has proved.

    Bake your rolls

    • Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan, 350F), then remove the tea towels and brush each roll gently with beaten egg. Avoid getting too much on the brush so that you don’t end up with drips that will show up after baking.
    • Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until the rolls turn a gorgeous, golden brown on top and sound hollow when tapped underneath. The rolls on the lower shelf may need a minute or two longer than the ones on the top shelf.
    • Transfer the rolls to a wire rack to cool completely.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 312mg | Potassium: 231mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 271IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 1mg
    * Note: nutritional information is estimated, based on publicly available data. Nutrient values may vary from those published. Information on this website should not be taken as medical advice. Cuisines identify the primary region of inspiration for a dish.
    Tried this recipe?Snap a pic and tag @amummytoo on Instagram or tag @EmilyLearyCooks on Twitter. I can't wait to see your posts!

    Pin this spiced fruit buns recipe

    Pinterest image for the spiced fruit buns recipe with three images at the bottom and text at the top describing the image for Pinterest.
    Pinterest image for the spiced fruit buns with text at the bottom describing the image for Pinterest.
    Pinterest image for the spiced fruit buns with text at the top describing the image for Pinterest.
    Pinterest image for the spiced fruit buns with text at the top describing the image for Pinterest.
    Pinterest image for the spiced fruit buns with text at the top describing the image for Pinterest.
    Pinterest image for the spiced fruit buns with text at the top describing the image for Pinterest.

    More bread recipes to try

    Looking for more bread recipes? Try these!

    Vegetable Soda Bread Rolls Recipe
    Soda bread rolls that are super quick to make and packed full of veg inside and out!
    Get the recipe
    Flowerpot Bread Recipe
    With no yeast and no need to knead or prove, this flowerpot bread is quick to make and tastes delicious! Kids will enjoy mixing the dough almost as much as they enjoy eating this yummy bread.
    Get the recipe
    Kim-Joy's Tangzhong Cat Shaped Bread Recipe
    This cat-shaped bread is not just cute, they are the softest, fluffiest bread you can find, and that’s thanks to the ‘tangzhong’ technique.
    Get the recipe

    Have you got my book?

    'This is a great kids cookery book. Emily is a star' - Simon Rimmer

    'The book I'd like to force into any mother's kitchen' - Prue Leith

    "A fab book with a plan." - Jane Devonshire, 2016 Masterchef UK winner

    'Emily has managed to combine her mummy knowledge and passion for food to make a truly helpful and brilliant cookbook' - Priya Tew, RD, BSc (Hons), Msc

    Get Your Kids to Eat Anything is an achievable 'how to' for parents in the battle to overcome picky eating and 'make new the norm'. Emily Leary's unique 5-phase programme looks at the issue of 'fussy eating' in a holistic way that links imagination with food, and which situates parents alongside - not in opposition to - their children.

    Grab your copy!

    « Strawberry cream cake
    Baked courgette fries »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. jenny paulin says

      November 16, 2013 at 6:48 pm

      ooooh i do love a sticky fruit bun even better that they are fragranced with festive spices AND they can be slathered in butter!!! mmmmm would be perfect for breakfast with a cuppa (can you tell i am hungry!!??)
      yum! they look greeeat x

      Reply
      • Zahrah Ahmed says

        March 24, 2023 at 8:52 am

        Hi this looks promising but do you think I can sub all purpose flour for the bread flour? And what exactly is fast paced yeast? Is it the same as active dryand can that be used it instead as thatโ€™s all that I have.

        Reply
        • Emily Leary says

          March 24, 2023 at 1:27 pm

          Hi. Bread flour, also knows as strong flour, has a higher gluten content than all purpose flour. If you use all purpose flour, you won't get as strong a gluten structure, meaning the bread won't rise as well, or have as good a texture.

          Fast action yeast is another name for instant yeast. It is not the same as Active Dry Yeast but you can substitute one for the other, you just need to adjust things slightly. Here is a good conversion resource.

          As this recipe calls for 1 ยฝ tsp of fast action/instant yeast, to use active dried yeast you'd need to use 2 1/4 tsp.

          You'd also need to 'activate' your active dried yeast (I know the name is confusing!) because this type can't be added direct to to the flour. Instead, you'll need to put it in a small bowl and add a tsp of sugar and a tablespoon of warm (not hot) milk. Stir and leave for 10 minutes - you should see bubbles. Then you can add your yeast mixture with the other wet ingredients to continue the recipe as normal.

          Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Emily Leary standing in a kitchen

    Emily Leary. Chef. Multi-award-winning food writer, presenter and photographer. Author of bestselling book, "Get Your Kids to Eat Anything".

    emily@amummytoo.co.uk

    Learn more about Emily

    Emily on social

    © 2025 A Mummy Too - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy - How I work with advertisers - Contact

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.