Sugar Buns from Yeasted Puff Pastry
Tender, fluffy, beautiful - perfect for a cozy tea time! While these sugar buns bake, an amazing aroma fills the home and draws everyone to the kitchen. Sweet braided buns with an appetizing crisp crust are an easy decoration for any home table.
Updated : 02 March, 2026
Easy
About 1 hour.
Ingredients
Starter
65 milliliters
Water
4 grams
Dry yeast
2 teaspoon
Honey
50 grams
Wheat flour
Dough
0.5
Eggs
35 grams
Sugar
0.25 teaspoon
Salt
50 grams
Butter
5 grams
Vanilla sugar
65 milliliters
Milk
1 tablespoon
Orange zest
225 grams
Wheat flour
Layering
25 grams
Butter
20 grams
Sugar
Topping
0.5
Eggs
1 tablespoon
Milk
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How to make sugar buns from yeasted puff pastry? Measure the ingredients for the sponge (starter). Use all-purpose flour (or high-grade wheat flour). If the honey is thick, melt it in a water bath. You can replace honey with the same amount of sugar. Warm the water slightly.
Step 2
Dissolve the honey in the warm water - it makes the dough more aromatic.
Step 3
Add the yeast and stir.
Step 4
Sift the flour into the yeast mixture.
Step 5
Whisk until there are no flour lumps. Place the sponge in a warm spot to rise for 30 minutes.
Step 6
Prepare the ingredients for the dough. Melt the butter over low heat. Warm the milk slightly.
Step 7
Sift the flour. Why is this necessary? Sifting aerates the flour, making the baked goods lighter and helping them rise better.
Step 8
The sponge has risen, about doubling in volume.
Step 9
For mixing the dough, use a large, tall bowl. Whisk the egg with salt, sugar, and vanilla sugar until smooth.
Step 10
Pour in the warm milk and mix.
Step 11
Add the orange zest and stir lightly.
Step 12
Add the risen sponge to the mixture and mix well.
Step 13
Pour in the melted butter (not hot) and mix.
Step 14
Add a little more than half of the sifted flour and stir with a spoon. I add flour through a sieve, effectively sifting it twice.
Step 15
Add the remaining flour in portions, mixing the dough as you go.
Step 16
The dough will still be quite sticky and thick. Important: I strongly recommend not adding more flour so the dough doesn’t become tough. Transfer the dough to the table and start kneading. It will noticeably stick to your hands and the surface; you can help yourself with a bench scraper. Even so, keep kneading without flour. After 2-3 minutes it will become more uniform and less sticky. Knead for about 10 minutes.
Step 17
In the end, the dough becomes soft, pliable, and no longer sticks to your hands. Grease the bowl with a little vegetable oil, place the dough inside, cover with plastic wrap, and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Step 18
The dough has increased in volume by about 2 times.
Step 19
For layering, melt the butter and let it cool slightly.
Step 20
Dust the table well with flour, place the dough on it, and gently punch it down. Roll into a rectangular sheet about 5-7 mm (0.2-0.3 in) thick. Brush half of the sheet with melted butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar.
Step 21
Fold the unbuttered half over the buttered half. Square off the edges; if needed, gently stretch them so the butter isn’t visible.
Step 22
Roll the dough again with smooth movements into a thin square sheet. Brush with the remaining butter and sprinkle with sugar. Reserve a little sugar for the tops.
Step 23
Roll the dough into a log. Brush off excess flour with a pastry brush.
Step 24
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 20-25 minutes. Do not freeze solid - just chill it slightly so it’s easier to work with.
Step 25
Roll out the chilled dough to no more than 1 cm (0.4 in) thick. Mine was about 36 × 11 cm (14 × 4.3 in). Cut into 6 equal pieces.
Step 26
How to shape the buns? Cut each piece lengthwise into 3 equal strips, without cutting all the way through the top end.
Step 27
Start braiding the strips, keeping them even and making sure the layers don’t twist.
Step 28
Pinch the bottom ends slightly so the braid doesn’t come apart.
Step 29
Roll the braid into a spiral bun, starting from the bottom end and rolling away from yourself.
Step 30
I worried the buns might not hold their shape while baking, so I baked them in muffin tins with parchment circles on the bottoms. But I think they would hold even without that. You can place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover the shaped buns with a light layer of plastic wrap and proof for 30 minutes.
Step 31
In a small bowl, mix the egg with 1 tbsp milk.
Step 32
Brush only the tops of the risen buns with the egg mixture, avoiding the layers.
Step 33
Sprinkle the buns with the reserved sugar.
Step 34
Bake in a preheated 180°C (356°F) oven for 25 minutes until golden. This dough browns quickly; after 15 minutes I covered the buns with foil.
Step 35
Cool the buns and serve. Enjoy!
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