Unity Buns
When I visited the Christmas markets in Strasbourg, mannelles were in every bakery and cafe. They are little brioche buns in the shape of a little person, absolutely delicious whether dunked in hot chocolate for breakfast or enjoyed as an afternoon snack. My take on manneles are these unity buns, inspired by the theme of coming together after families/friends/communities were forced apart by Covid. Instead of chocolate chips, I have studded the dough with festive red and green cherries, as well as mixed fruit and mixed spice. Then, I place them in a circle to create a striking table centrepiece, each guest helping themselves.
In naming the buns, I was inspired by Charles Dickens' depiction of the Cratchit family in A Christmas Carol. They don't have much but they have each other, and Dickens emphasises the family's unity as they enjoy their meagre Christmas dinner: as Mrs Cratchit carves the goose, 'one murmur of delight arose all round the board'. After dinner, they sit around the hearth in 'what Bob Cratchit called a circle' and they share 'the hot stuff from the jug' in 'Two tumblers, and a custard-cup without a handle'. In unison, the whole family echoes Bob Cratchit: 'A Merry Christmas to us all, my dears. God bless us!' Of course, social unity was the main impetus for writing the novella: Dickens witnessed a divided society, a gaping fissure between rich and poor. The very title of the book - evoking a chorus of voices, all singing the same song - draws attention to the importance of societies coming together in harmony if we are ever to tackle some of our most challenging problems. It's why my mannelles don't sit separately, but together in a circle. A reminder that we are better together.
Take the butter out of the fridge an hour or so in advance, so that it softens slightly. Serve fresh from the oven, or slightly reheated, dipped into a warming bowl of hot chocolate (very French).
Makes about 30 buns, depending on the size of the cutter.
Ingredients
For decoration
Equipment
Method
1. Warm the milk slightly (do this in a saucepan or in a milk frother, without activating the frothing setting). It should be just-warm. Then, mix the yeast into it to activate it.
When I visited the Christmas markets in Strasbourg, mannelles were in every bakery and cafe. They are little brioche buns in the shape of a little person, absolutely delicious whether dunked in hot chocolate for breakfast or enjoyed as an afternoon snack. My take on manneles are these unity buns, inspired by the theme of coming together after families/friends/communities were forced apart by Covid. Instead of chocolate chips, I have studded the dough with festive red and green cherries, as well as mixed fruit and mixed spice. Then, I place them in a circle to create a striking table centrepiece, each guest helping themselves.
In naming the buns, I was inspired by Charles Dickens' depiction of the Cratchit family in A Christmas Carol. They don't have much but they have each other, and Dickens emphasises the family's unity as they enjoy their meagre Christmas dinner: as Mrs Cratchit carves the goose, 'one murmur of delight arose all round the board'. After dinner, they sit around the hearth in 'what Bob Cratchit called a circle' and they share 'the hot stuff from the jug' in 'Two tumblers, and a custard-cup without a handle'. In unison, the whole family echoes Bob Cratchit: 'A Merry Christmas to us all, my dears. God bless us!' Of course, social unity was the main impetus for writing the novella: Dickens witnessed a divided society, a gaping fissure between rich and poor. The very title of the book - evoking a chorus of voices, all singing the same song - draws attention to the importance of societies coming together in harmony if we are ever to tackle some of our most challenging problems. It's why my mannelles don't sit separately, but together in a circle. A reminder that we are better together.
Take the butter out of the fridge an hour or so in advance, so that it softens slightly. Serve fresh from the oven, or slightly reheated, dipped into a warming bowl of hot chocolate (very French).
Makes about 30 buns, depending on the size of the cutter.
Ingredients
- 2 x 7g sachets of dried instant yeast
- 550ml just-warm semi-skimmed or whole milk
- 1kg plain flour
- 100g caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 120g unsalted butter, diced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 100g mixed fruit
- 60g chopped green glace cherries
- 60g chopped red glace cherries
For decoration
- 2 egg yolks
- A splash of milk
- More mixed fruit
Equipment
- At least two baking trays, lined with baking parchment
- Gingerbread man cutter (mine is 11cm x 8cm)
- Pastry brush
Method
1. Warm the milk slightly (do this in a saucepan or in a milk frother, without activating the frothing setting). It should be just-warm. Then, mix the yeast into it to activate it.
2. Mix the flour, sugar and eggs together in a stand mixer (e.g. a Kenwood), using the bread hook. This will only take a minute or so - you just need all the ingredients to come together.
3. Then, pour in the milk-yeast mixture a little at a time, while the stand mixer continues to knead/mix the dough.
3. Then, pour in the milk-yeast mixture a little at a time, while the stand mixer continues to knead/mix the dough.
4. Add the diced butter and the salt and knead for about 5 minutes until it comes together as a smooth, elastic dough.
5. Add the mixed fruit and cherries.
6. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place for 90 minutes until doubled in volume.
7. Towards the end of the rise, heat the oven to 180°C fan. Once risen, punch the air out of the dough and roll it into a thick rectangle. Sprinkle with the mixed spice and then fold the dough up by bringing the top third down and the bottom third up to meet in the middle. Turn the dough 90 degrees and, without rolling it up again, repeat the same folds and then turn another 90 degrees.
8. Roll the dough about 1cm thick and cut out the shapes. It's important the manneles aren't too thick because otherwise they will balloon and lose their shape in the oven. When cutting the shapes, press down firmly and then run your hand around the outside of the manneles to get rid of the excess dough. Try to minimise the amount of rerolling you have to do by cutting from the outside edge of the dough. Gather any scraps and reroll.
9. Mix the egg yolks with a splash of milk to create the egg wash. Brush the tops of the manneles with the egg wash (trying to avoid it running down the sides, which may affect the rise) and then decorate using the mixed fruit: eyes, mouth, buttons - whatever you wish!
10. Once you've finished egg washing and decorating one baking tray, leave covered with a clean tea towel for 10 minutes and then put it in the oven and make a start on the next baking tray (while keeping an eye on the oven). Repeat until you have used up all the dough. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 180°C (fan). (If you're using a different size cutter to me, adjust times accordingly). Transfer to a cooling tray and enjoy fresh and warm.