The Great British Bake Off Challenge 4

After last weeks long and difficult challenge i decide to go for something easy this week.I chose Jam Thumbprints.They are jam filled buns that are something you probably ate as a child.

 

Ingredients

225g self-raising flour.
100g caster sugar.
125 butter,chilled and diced.
1 egg.
1tbsp cold milk.
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Raspberry jam(Or your favourite flavour).

Recipe

1.Preheat the oven to 200 degrees c/400 degrees f/gas mark 6.
2.Combine the flour and sugar in a mixing bowl.
3.Add the butter and rub into the dry ingredients,until the mixture looks like fine crumbs.
4.Beat the egg with the milk and vanilla in a small bowl.
5.Stir into the flour mixtureusing a round bladed knife to make a soft dough.If the mixture is sticky work in a little more flour.If there are dry crumbs at the bottom of the bowl and the dough is crumbly and dry work in a little more milk.
6.Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces and shape each one into a ball.
7.Grease 2 baking trays.
8.Arrange them well apart on the baking trays to allow for spreading.
9.Flour your thumb and press it gently into the middle of each bun to make a small well,ensuring you don't go all the way through the dough.
10.Put a small amount of jam in the centre of each bun.
11.Bake in the pre-heated oven for ten minutes then reduce the temperature to 180 degreesc/350 degrees f/gas mark 4, and bake for another 5 minutes,until golden.
12.Remove the trays from the oven and sprinkle the buns with a little sugar.
13.Leave the buns to cool for 5 minutes before transfering to a wire rack to cool completely.


They were fairly easy to make but i found that at step 5 i had to add quite a bit more flour before it turned from a sticky dough.I also needed to make a deeper well as my jam spilled out and over the buns.They tasted really nice which is all that matters sometimes.

                                                                                                       The Monday Baker