Iced Finger Buns

Dessert | Australian

Prep time: 40 min Cook time: 20 min Servings: 12

This easy finger bun recipe is a throwback to the classic bakery treat many of you in Australia (including Katelyn) grew up with. Soft, fluffy brioche buns are glazed and topped with a smooth buttercream icing, then finished with desiccated coconut or colourful sprinkles (your choice). Perfect for morning tea or a nostalgic party plate, these buns are a sweet trip down memory lane.

Dough information

The dough is an enriched brioche-style made with butter, eggs and milk. Enriched doughs behave differently from lean bread doughs because the fat coats the gluten strands and limits their development. This means you need a longer mix time to build enough structure, and the butter must go in gradually, a few cubes at a time, after the initial dough is formed. Adding it too early or all at once prevents the gluten from developing and you end up with a dense, greasy bun instead of something soft and pillowy.

The process

The sultanas are added at the very end of mixing to avoid them breaking down and discolouring the dough. After shaping, the buns get a second proof in the pan until doubled in size, which is the cue to bake regardless of timing. A gelatine glaze goes on straight from the oven to give the buns a glossy finish that helps the buttercream icing adhere. The icing is split into two batches: one white, one pink, both piped in a small star pattern. Finish with sprinkles or desiccated coconut. These are best on the day they’re baked, but the dough can be prepped the night before.

Ingredient Notes

Bread flour: Bread flour has a higher protein content than plain flour (typically 11-13% vs 9-11%), which means more gluten formation. In an enriched dough like this, the fat works against gluten development, so starting with a higher-protein flour gives you the structural headroom to end up with a bun that’s soft but not collapsing. Plain flour can be used in a pinch, but the buns will be slightly less structured.

Dried yeast: Activate the yeast in lukewarm milk (around 38-40°C) with a tablespoon of sugar before adding the flour. Lukewarm means it feels barely warm on your wrist, not hot. Too hot and you kill the yeast. Too cold and it won’t activate. Wait until you see a foam forming on the surface before proceeding, about 8-10 minutes. If the mixture doesn’t foam, your yeast is probably dead and you’ll need to start again.

Butter (room temperature): Room temperature butter is critical for a brioche-style dough. Cold butter won’t incorporate smoothly and will create uneven streaks of fat. Butter that’s too soft will make the dough greasy and slack. Aim for butter that’s soft enough to press a finger into easily but still holding its shape. Cube it small, about 1cm pieces, and add it progressively while the mixer is running.

Equipment

Stand mixer with dough hook
Chopping board
Chef’s knife
22cm x 33cm baking tray
Small saucepan (for glaze)
Pastry brush
Wire rack
Piping bags with small star nozzles

Ingredients

Finger bun
7g (2 ¼ tsp) sachet dried yeast
75g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
250ml (1 cup) milk, lukewarm
600g (4 ¾ cups) bread flour
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
150g butter, diced, at room temperature
100g sultanas
Glaze
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp powdered gelatine
20ml (1 tbsp) hot water
Icing
185g unsalted butter, at room temperature
360g (2¼ cups) icing sugar
40ml (2 tbsp/1.35oz) milk
pink food colouring
sprinkles/100’s & 1000s, desiccated coconut, to decorate

Directions

Prep and proof the dough
Place the yeast and 1 tbsp of the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and pour over the milk. Let sit for 10 minutes until it becomes foamy.
Add the flour, remaining sugar, mixed spice, vanilla, salt, and eggs to the milk mixture and fit the dough hook attachment.
Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms, then add the butter a few cubes at a time, allowing to incorporate before adding more.
Increase the speed to medium, and mix for 5 minutes, until the dough is pulling away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
Add in the sultanas and beat for a further minute, until mixed through.
Transfer dough to a lightly floured bench and form into a ball. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm draft-free place for 1½ to 2 hours until doubled in size.
Shape the dough
Preheat the oven to 175°C fan forced (345°F) (for next step of cooking the buns)
Grease a 22cm x 33cm (9 x 13 inch) baking tray.
Punch down the dough, then transfer to a lightly floured bench and divide into 12 equal pieces.
Shape each piece into a tight ball, then push out into a rectangle shape and add to the prepared pan.
Cover loosely again and place in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Cook the buns and glaze
Place your buns in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes until golden in colour and sounds hollow when gently tapped on the base.
While they are baking, make your glaze. Stir ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat, without boiling, until gelatine dissolves.
Once ready, take your buns out of the oven and transfer to a wire rack.
Brush tops with the hot glaze. Allow to completely cool, then separate into individual buns. While they are cooling, start the next step of preparing your icing.
Prep the icing
Beat butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until very pale. Gradually beat in half of the icing sugar, then mix in the milk. Beat in remaining icing sugar until very light and fluffy.
Transfer half the icing to a medium bowl and mix in some pink food colouring. Spoon icing into a piping bag fitted with a straight nozzle.
Spoon white icing into a piping bag fitted with a small star nozzle.
Ice and serve
Pipe the white icing onto 6 of the buns and decorate with sprinkles. Then pipe the pink icing onto the remaining buns and sprinkle with coconut.
Place onto a plate or tray and enjoy!

Recipe notes

Chef Tips

Add the butter a few cubes at a time

Brioche dough needs the gluten to be established before the fat goes in. Start the mix without the butter until the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl and has some elasticity. Then add the butter gradually, a few cubes at a time, letting each addition absorb before adding more. If you add it all at once, the fat coats the flour particles before gluten can form and the dough won’t develop the structure it needs.

Proof until doubled

Yeast activity is affected by room temperature, the age of your yeast, and the ambient humidity. The stated proofing times are guides, not rules. The real cue for both the first and second proof is volume: the dough needs to double in size. An under-proofed dough won’t have enough gas development and the buns will bake dense. Check the dough regularly rather than walking away and trusting the clock.

Storage

Store buns in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. These are best eaten on the day they’re baked when the dough is at its softest. The buns can be frozen un-iced: cool completely, wrap individually in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature and ice before serving. Once iced, freezing is not recommended as the buttercream doesn’t thaw well.

FAQs

Can I make these without a stand mixer?

Yes, you can knead the dough by hand, it'll just take a bit more elbow grease. Expect to knead for about 10–12 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Do I have to use sultanas?

Not at all, feel free to leave them out if you're not a fan, or swap them for currants, dried cranberries, or even choc chips for something different.

What’s the best way to get the icing neat?

A piping bag helps with neatness, but if you don’t have one, use a zip-lock bag with the corner snipped off or spread the icing on with a butter knife for a rustic look.

How do I know when my dough has proofed enough?

It should double in size and feel puffy to the touch. If you press it gently and it slowly springs back, you’re good to go. If it deflates or has large bubbles, it may be over-proofed.