CanadianThunder Bay Persian rolls
Pink-iced cinnamon buns
Persians: Thunder Bay's fried cinnamon buns topped with sweet pink berry icing
Persians are the pride of Thunder Bay, Ontario, sold in local bakeries and eaten with coffee at breakfast or on a cold afternoon by the shore of Lake Superior; they are almost unknown outside the city. Despite the name, they have nothing to do with Iran: a soft, enriched cinnamon-swirled dough is shaped into oval buns, fried or baked until golden, then spread with a thick pink icing coloured with raspberries or strawberries. They are vegetarian and contain egg, milk and wheat. The common mistake is icing them warm: the glaze melts into a sticky film instead of setting thick and fudgy. Wait until they are completely cool. They are ready when golden all over and they sound hollow when tapped underneath. Chef's tip: use mashed fresh or thawed frozen raspberries for the icing rather than colouring; it gives the true pale-pink shade and a sharp, fruity tang against the sweetness.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Serves
- 12
- Per serving
- 360 kcal
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 cup whole milklukewarm
- 2 ⅛ oz sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 ⅛ oz soft butter
- 16 oz plain flour
- 1 tsp salt
For the filling
- 1 ⅜ oz soft butter
- 2 ⅞ oz brown sugar
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
For frying
- 1 litre vegetable oil
For the icing
- 2 ⅞ oz raspberriesfresh or thawed, mashed and sieved
- 10 ½ oz icing sugar
- 1 oz soft butter
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Whisk 1 cup whole milk, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast and 2 ⅛ oz sugar in a large bowl and leave for 5 minutes until foamy. Beat in 1 egg and 2 ⅛ oz soft butter.
5 minStep 2: Add 16 oz plain flour and 1 tsp salt and mix, then knead for 8 minutes until smooth and springy. Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled.
8 minStep 3: Roll the dough to a 40 × 30 cm rectangle. Spread with 1 ⅜ oz soft butter and sprinkle evenly with 2 ⅞ oz brown sugar and 1 tbsp ground cinnamon.
Step 4: Roll up tightly from the long side and cut into 12 slices. Press each slice flat into an oval about 1.5 cm thick. Cover and prove for 30 minutes until puffy.
Step 5: Heat 1 litre vegetable oil in a deep heavy pan to 350°F. Fry 3 buns at a time for 2 minutes per side, until deep golden and they sound hollow when tapped. Drain on a rack and cool completely. (To bake instead, bake at 375°F (350°F fan) for 15–18 minutes.)
16 minStep 6: Beat 2 ⅞ oz raspberries, 10 ½ oz icing sugar, 1 oz soft butter and ½ tsp vanilla extract to a thick, spreadable pink icing, adding a few drops of water only if needed.
Step 7: Spread the icing thickly over the cooled buns and leave for 15 minutes to set. Best eaten the same day.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 60 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does thunder Bay Persian rolls take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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