Homemade Belgian Buns – nothing beats a freshly baked iced bun with a cherry on the top. Filled with homemade Lemon Curd & juicy sultanas – so much better than Greggs!
One of my favourite treats when I go to a cafe or a bakery is an iced bun, especially if there’s a cherry on the top.
Regular readers will know about my love of bread baking and I thought I’d have a go at recreating my favourite cafe treat.
For Homemade Belgian Buns I use my easy all in one sweet bun recipe, the same dough I use for Chelsea Buns. It’s a lighter dough than a standard enriched dough and it has a quicker rise. The result is a batch of soft and fluffy buns.
Once you have your Belgian Bun dough, it’s simply a matter of lemon curd filling and dried fruit before baking. I used lemon in the icing for a double hit of lemon.
You’ll find easy step by step instructions in my video to help you make the best Belgian Buns.
Homemade Belgian Buns make a great alternative to hot cross buns at Easter, a delicious breakfast bread or teatime treat.
What Is A Belgian Bun ?
Apparently Belgian Buns aren’t Belgian at all. Although I’m told you can find similar dough based buns known as a rozijnenkoek or couque suisse in bakeries in Belgium.
A Belgian Bun is like a Chelsea Bun but with icing and a cherry on the top. OH and I had a debate about the filling in a Belgian Bun – should there be lemon curd with the sultana filling ?
The famous Belgian Bun from Greggs has lemon curd inside. So my plan was to offer my taste testers a “with curd” and a “without curd” bun.
It never happened because everyone who tried the first batch of buns loved the lemon curd filling and said this is what makes the buns so special.
What equipment do I need ?
- Optional: A stand mixer – I use my KitchenAid stand mixer to knead dough as it makes light work of kneading. But don’t worry if you haven’t access to a stand mixer. You’ll need a bit of elbow grease but you can easily knead by hand.
- 2 baking trays / sheets lined with baking parchment.
What ingredients do I need ?
For ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card.
Dough ingredients
- Bread flour – I use Marriage’s white bread flour for its high gluten content, essential for a soft and fluffy bun.
- Yeast – I’ve used instant yeast, also called fast action yeast or quick yeast.
- Sugar – only three tablespoons in the dough as there is plenty in the lemon curd and sultana filling and icing.
- Salted butter – to enrich the dough and give it flavour.
- Milk – essential for delivering a lovely soft bun.
- Egg – I used 1 large egg.
Filling ingredients
- Lemon curd – I use my easy microwave lemon curd but you can of course use commercially available lemon curd. In that instance, I’d recommend buying a jar of good quality curd and avoid the budget brands if you can.
- Sultanas – juicy sultanas or you can substitute with raisins.
Topping Ingredients
- Icing sugar – also called confectioner’s sugar or powdered sugar.
- Lemon juice – I’ve used fresh lemon juice as I prefer the taste but you can use bottled lemon juice.
- Glacé cherries / candied cherries – an essential ingredient in a Belgian Bun. Use a whole one or a half on each bun.
What Is The Difference Between Instant Yeast & Active Dry Yeast ?
I’ve used instant yeast in the recipe, often called fast action or quick yeast. This yeast has the advantage that you can add it directly to your flour.
I like to use Dove’s Farm Quick Yeast which comes in a handy 125g packet. Once opened, Dove’s Farm Yeast will keep for up to two months if you store it in a cool dry place. I order my yeast from Amazon in packs of three and the Use Before date has always been a couple of years in the future.
Active dry yeast needs to be dissolved first and left to bloom.
Can I Use Active Dry Yeast In This Recipe ?
Yes you can!
Add 1 tablespoon of active dry yeast to the warm milk along with a spoon of the caster sugar, stir and leave for 10 to 15 minutes to bubble up.
Now you’re ready to make the dough.
How To Make Homemade Belgian Buns
Homemade Belgian Buns are much easier to make than you might think. If you have a stand mixer, it’s even easier – I use my Kitchen Aid.
Make your dough
- First, warm your milk in the microwave for one minute so the liquid temperature is tepid to warm. At this temperature the yeast is encouraged to start working – too high a temperature will kill the yeast.
- Add all your dough ingredients to the mixer bowl of a free standing mixer fitted with dough hook.
- Knead on a low setting for about 10 minutes until your dough is smooth and elastic.
- Alternatively, you can mix by hand. Stir the ingredients together until they form a ball and then knead for 10 to 12 minutes.
- An easy way to check your dough is ready is to use the windowpane test. Pinch off a small piece of dough and gently stretch it apart. Hold it up to the light – it should be translucent and free from big holes.
- Place your dough in a large greased mixing bowl and cover. Leave to rest in a warm place for at least one and a half hours or until doubled in size.
Shape and Bake
- Now it’s time to turn out your dough. Gently roll or press out into a rectangle of about 40 x 25 cm (16″ x 10″).
- Spread the dough with lemon curd and sprinkle on the sultanas.
- Starting from a long side, tightly roll up the dough like a Swiss roll or jelly roll.
- Cut into 12 equal slices and arrange on your your lined baking trays. Cover with a cloth or greased cling film.
- Leave to rise for about 45 minutes.
- Bake the buns for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Use a preheated oven at 400°F / 200°C / 180°C Fan / Gas Mark 6.
Make your lemon icing
- Sieve the icing sugar into a large bowl and mix with the lemon juice until nice and smooth. The icing should drop slowly off your spoon. Add extra lemon juice if necessary.
- Spoon the lemon icing on the top of each bun and crown with a cherry.
FAQs
Belgian Buns and Chelsea Buns are both sweet buns. The difference is in the filling and shape. Belgian Buns are round in shape, filled with lemon curd and sultanas and finished with glacé icing and a cherry. Chelsea Buns are famous for their distinctive square shape, filled with cinnamon butter and dried fruit topped with a simple sugar glaze.
The mystery yellow stuff in Belgian Buns is lemon curd, a cooked mixture of eggs, lemons and butter. It’s a versatile lemony spread often used on cheesecakes or in tarts. Lemon curd and sultanas are the filling in a Belgian Bun.
Yes, you can ! Belgian Buns freeze better without the icing. Having said that, I have frozen Iced Belgian Buns successfully, you just get a dull finish to the icing.
Open freeze and then transfer to a freezer bag or sealed container.
Will keep for up to three months.
Defrost at room temperature before topping with lemon icing and a cherry.
How long do they keep ?
Although fresh is definitely best, Homemade Belgian Buns will keep for 2 to 3 days stored in an airtight container.
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If You Like Homemade Belgian Buns … you might also like:
- Chelsea Buns
- Traditional Hot Cross Buns
- Guernsey Gâche – Fruit Bread loaf
- Peach Streusel Traybake
- Healthy Hot Cross Buns
- Sweet & Spicy Christmas Tree Bread
Pin Homemade Belgian Buns
Homemade Belgian Buns
Equipment
- 2 large baking trays / sheets
Ingredients
Sweet Dough
- 450 g strong white bread flour
- 1 tbsp instant yeast I use Doves Farm
- 4 tbsp caster sugar superfine sugar
- 115 g softened salted butter
- 200 ml warm milk
- 1 egg beaten
Filling
- 6 tbsp lemon curd
- 115 g sultanas
Topping
- 300 g icing sugar powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar
- 5 tbsp lemon juice
- 12 glace cherries
Instructions
Make your dough
- Combine all the dough ingredients, in either the bowl of an electric mixer with a dough hook fitted or in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix on slow speed number 1 for approximately 1 to 2 minutes then on speed number 2 for 8 to 10 minutes.
- If mixing by hand stir the ingredients together until they form a ball and then knead for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Check your dough is sufficiently smooth and elastic to pass the windowpane test.
- Place your dough in a large greased mixing bowl and cover. Leave to rest in a warm place for at least one and a half hours or until doubled in size.
Shape and Bake
- Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and roll out into a rectangle about 40 x 25 cm (16″ x 10″).
- Spread the dough with lemon curd and sprinkle with the sultanas.
- Starting from a long side, tightly roll up the dough like a swiss roll or jelly roll.
- With a sharp knife cut into 12 even slices.
- Lay slices flat on your lined baking trays and cover with a cloth or greased cling film.
- Leave to rise from approximately 30 to 45 minutes until well risen.
- Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C / 180°C Fan / Gas Mark 6 . Bake the buns for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
Make your icing
- Sieve the icing sugar into a large bowl and mix with the lemon juice until nice and smooth. Add extra lemon juice if necessary, the icing should drop slowly off your spoon.
- Spoon the lemon icing on to the top of each bun and top with a cherry.
Video
Notes
- Best eaten on the same day but they will keep for 2 to 3 days stored in an airtight container.
- Belgian Buns can be frozen, they freeze better without the icing. Having said that, I have frozen Iced Belgian Buns successfully, you just get a dull finish to the icing.
Open freeze and then transfer to a freezer bag or sealed container.
Will keep for up to three months.
Defrost at room temperature before topping with lemon icing and a cherry. - Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
I am taking my mouth wateringly delicious Homemade Belgian Buns to this week’s Fiesta Friday #162 which is a weekly foodie party hosted by the lovely Angie. This will be my first week co hosting so I’m pleased I’ve got a fellow co host, Liz from Spades, Spatulas & Spoons to help me out.
I’m also entering Homemade Belgian Buns into a couple challenges this month:
- Corina’s Cook Once Eat Twice over at Searching For Spice.
- Treat Petite co hosted by Stuart over at Cakeyboi and Kat from The Baking Explorer, hosted this month by Stuart.
Carole
Friday 26th of April 2024
I am going to make these as OH loves them. As I am lactose intolerant I am going to make them using one of the branded alternatives to butter. Hoping it turns out ok.
Sarah James
Saturday 4th of May 2024
Hi Carol, do let me know how you get on, Sarah.
Sandra
Monday 6th of February 2023
These buns are wonderful. I first baked them at 400 degrees fahrenheit for the full time, but found that they were too brown. I adjusted the baking to 400 for 10 minutes: then, 350 for 10 minutes. They were perfect. Thank you for sharing. This is a keeper.
Sarah James
Wednesday 8th of February 2023
Thanks Sandra, it's a pleasure to share my recipe for Belgian Buns. I was wondering if you have a fan oven? I include the temperature for a fan oven in Centigrade but not Fahrenheit and it would be 350 F fan. So pleased you enjoyed them, Sarah.
Natalie
Sunday 12th of September 2021
They tasted really lovely, thanks for the recipe Sarah! Natalie
Sarah James
Sunday 12th of September 2021
So pleased you enjoyed them Natalie. It's a pleasure to share the recipe.
Natalie
Saturday 11th of September 2021
Hi there! Just wanted to double check the yeast quantity in this recipe as it sounded rather a lot. At the beginning of the recipe you said you used instant yeast but the recipe calls for 1tbsp instant yeast, I just weighed that out on the scale and it was about 10g. Is this correct? Thanks so much! The recipe looks gorgeous, am trying it this afternoon 😊
Sarah James
Saturday 11th of September 2021
Hi Natalie, thanks for getting in touch. Don't worry, the yeast quantity is correct as the recipe needs more yeast than a regular bread dough to compensate for the added egg, butter and sugar. Just double checked how much a tablespoon of instant yeast weighs on my scales and it comes in at 9 grams. Enjoy Belgian bun making and do let me know how you get on.
Taghrid Jammoul
Thursday 1st of April 2021
They only need 15 minutes the recipe says 20-25 minutes it’s too long
Sarah James
Thursday 1st of April 2021
Hi Taghrid, thanks for getting in touch. Oven temperatures can vary from oven to oven. I bake my Belgian Buns for 25 minutes at 200 C in a conventional oven. I'm wondering if your oven is fan assisted? it can make a difference of up to 20 degrees and would explain why your Belgian Buns were baked in 15 minutes. I'm in the process of updating my site with fan oven temperatures and I've added 180 C to the recipe card today.