Cornish Recipes - Cornish Splits

Fat for greasing
400g white flour
50g sugar
125ml milk
15g fresh yeast or 10ml dried yeast
5ml salt
50g butter
flour for kneading
icing sugar for dusting
300ml clotted cream or extra-thick double cream
225g strawberry jam

Makes: 14

Method:

Grease a baking sheet. Sift about 75g of the flour and 5ml of sugar into a large bowl. Warm the milk and 125ml water until lukewarm. Blend in the fresh or dried yeast. Add the yeast liquid to the flour and mix well. Leave the bowl in a warm place for 20 minutes.

Sift the rest of the flour and sugar and the salt in a bowl. Rub in the butter and stir in the yeast mixture. Mix well to form a soft dough. Turn on to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 6 minutes or until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Return to the clean bowl and cover with cling film. Leave in a warm place till the dough has doubled in bulk. This will take up to 2 hours, or longer.

Knead the dough again, until firm. Divide into 50g pieces and form each into a round bun. Place the buns on the prepared baking sheet. Place the sheet in a large, lightly oiled polythene bag. Leave in a warm place for about 30 minutes or until buns have doubled in size. Bake for 15-20 minutes on 220 degrees until golden brown. Transfer the buns to a cooling rack.

To serve, split the buns vertically, or at a slight angle from the top to the base. Then, carefully separate the buns, leaving them attached at the base. Dust the tops with icing sugar. Spoon clotted cream and strawberry jam into the buns and transfer to a serving plate. If strawberries are available, add a few halved strawberries to the jam and cream filling. Serve with aromatic tea for a lovely Cornish Cream Tea Party.

Alternatively, use Raspberry Jam.

Recipe Source:

Mrs. Beeton's Book of Summer: A Celebration of Summer Living, With Simple Seasonal Cooking, Traditional Activities and Perfect Pastimes for Warm Days

Recommended Reading:

Scones, Muffins, and Tea Cakes : Breakfast Breads and Teatime Spreads