Ginger Lassy Buns from Bookshops & Bonedust
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Delicious sweet buns flavored with ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg and topped with a delightful crunchy streusel. These yeasted buns are the perfect treat after a long day of battle... or reading! Ginger Lassy Buns are a delectable recipe inspired by the cozy fantasy novel Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree.
what are ginger lassy buns?
Set in a high fantasy beach town and with similar vibes to Dungeons & Dragons, Bookshops & Bonedust is the prequel story to Legends & Lattes. In this book, Viv is a young orc who ends up injured in a small beachside town and is forced to rest, something that is extremely difficult for her.
In the book, one of Viv’s first interactions with the local townsfolk is to purchase Ginger Lassy Buns from the local bakey. They are described as biscuits covered in sugar. After some careful examination of what ginger lassy buns might be on the internet, they did appear to already exist as exactly what you’d expect: biscuits made with molasses. Hence the name, “Lassy” and not “Lassie.” However, while I was reading the book, I could not get the image of little round yeasted buns covered in a sugar streusel. So I just went with my gut and made those… These are technically Ginger Lassy Yeasted Buns.
gathering ingredients to make ginger lassy buns:
To make these Ginger Lassy Buns, you will need to gather a few key ingredients. These can be found in your local grocery store, or perhaps even in a small high fantasy seaside town if you happen to transport your way into one!
All-Purpose Flour. For this recipe, all-purpose flour works best.
Butter. I prefer to use salted butter for all of my baking. You are welcome to use unsalted butter. You will want the butter to be room temperature before mixing it into the dough.
Sugar. Granulated sugar is preferred for this recipe, but other types of more natural sugar can be substituted successfully. You may also use brown sugar instead, for a darker bun!
Ginger. The main flavor component of this recipe is ginger, as stated in the book! I also used a combination of cinnamon and nutmeg to help balance out the sourness and bitterness of the ginger.
Orange Zest & Juice. These buns are flavored with orange zest and fresh orange juice giving them an excellent citrusy flavor.
Powdered Sugar. To make the streusel topping, I decided to make a more crusty streusel rather than a classic streusel with flour and granulated sugar.
Milk Powder. Milk powder is added to the streusel for even more crunchiness and creamy flavor.
tips for making pillowy soft dough:
When it comes to making soft and pillowy yeasted dough, there are a few tricks that I have learned over the years. Making breads is my love language and arguably the best dessert that I know how to make! These tips will help you learn how to make doughs that are soft, supple, and melt-in-your-mouth worthy.
Weigh Your Ingredients. One of the biggest hurdles to cross when it comes to making bread is learning when to stop adding flour. Different types of flour absorb liquid at different rates, so you really have to watch as you begin incorporating your flour into your wet ingredients. One way to remedy guessing is by weighing your ingredients. Because everyone’s standard measuring cup is a little bit different, it’s too much of a variation to say that your cup of flour and my cup are the same.
Watch the Dough. Wait until the dough no longer clings to the sides of the bowl. While you are mixing the flour into the dough, it will quickly take in the flour and then turn soupy again, becoming very sticky. As you add more flour, you will notice that the dough begins to form one solid mass that is still a little sticky. As soon as the dough removes itself from the bowl and is just hanging out on the dough hook, it does not need anymore flour.
Knead the Dough. This dough needs to be kneaded for about 10 minutes total. Kneading helps the gluten to develop, giving you a fluffier bread with a better rise and lovely crumb.
how to make crispy streusel:
Streusel can be a tricky recipe to master, but never fear, I am here to share with you my tried and true tips for making crispy delicious streusel topping.
Keep It Cold. The butter for this streusel should be cold, like when you are making pie crust. Cut it in with a fork at first, but then you will switch to using your hands. This will cause the butter to begin to melt, so make sure that you pop it back into the fridge or freezer before topping your buns.
There Should be No Dry Bits. The trick to making streusel is making sure that all of the dry ingredients are fully saturated. There really shouldn’t be any dry bits of flour or sugar in the mix, and everything should be combined with the butter. Get your fingers in there and crumble everything together until it feels like wet sand.
final thoughts:
You are going to love these Ginger Lassy Buns! They are truly something special, I am absolutely adore how they turned out. This dough is so lovely and soft, and it rises beautifully creating perfectly little domed buns. Of course, this recipe can easily be turned into a single loaf of bread or even buns baked in a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-cm) pan. I hope that you enjoy this delightful recipe inspired by the Ginger Lassy Buns from Bookshops & Bonedust.
Ginger Lassy Buns from Bookshops & Bonedust
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) warm water
- 2 1/4 tsp (7 g) active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) molasses
- 2 tbsp (30 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp (2 g) orange zest
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh orange juice
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 4 tbsp (58 g) salted butter, softened and cut into cubes
- 5 cups + 2 tbsp (620 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg + 1 tbsp (15 ml) water, for egg wash
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp (48 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp (38 g) powdered sugar
- 4 tsp (6 g) dry milk powder
- 4 tbsp (58 g) salted butter, cold and cubed
Instructions
- In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the water, yeast, molasses, and sugar. Whisk to combine and let this sit for about 5 to 8 minutes to allow the yeast to activate, or grow and become bubbly. Whisk in the orange zest, orange juice, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter.
- Slowly begin adding in the flour, about 1 cup (125 g) at a time, until a soft dough begins to form. The dough should begin to pull away from the sides of the bowl, though it should still be soft and pliable. If the dough is stiff, then it has too much flour. Weighing your ingredients will help to know how much flour to add.
- Once the dough no longer clings to the sides of bowl, knead the dough on medium speed for 6 minutes. Then, place the dough on the counter and knead for another 5 to 6 minutes or until it become smooth, elastic, and pillowy. Shape the dough into a tight ball, dragging it towards you on the counter.
- Lightly grease a large bowl and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. While the dough is rising, prepare 2 large baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.
- Gently deflate the dough with your hands, pushing as much air out as possible. Bring the dough out onto the counter, and with a bench scraper, divide the dough into 12 equal sized pieces. You can weigh the dough to be as accurate as possible.
- Shape each piece of dough into a small ball by pressing it out and folding the dough into a ball shape. Pinch the seams closed and drag the dough on the counter to make the ball as tight as possible.
- Arrange the buns on the prepared baking sheets, about 4-inches apart. Cover the buns with plastic wrap and let rise until nearly doubled, about 40 to 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (177° C). While the buns are rising, make the Sweet Streusel Topping.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, powdered sugar, and milk powder. Cut in the cold butter with a fork or pastry blender. Then switch to your hands, crumbling the butter into the dry ingredients until it forms crumbs that are fully saturated by the butter and about the size of a pea.
- Cover and chill the streusel until ready to use. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water for the egg wash.
- When the buns are ready to bake, brush them all over with the egg wash. Evenly divide the streusel topping among the buns and sprinkle the streusel over the top of each bun.
- Bake the buns for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and baked through. Let the buns rest until they are room temperature before enjoying.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
318Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
