Method (rolls)

1. In a small saucepan melt the butter on medium heat.
2. Add the warm melted butter into a mixing bowl and add in the room temperature milk, sugar and active dry yeast. Whisk to combine, then cover with a tea towel and set aside somewhere warm for 10 minutes. I like to place mine in my conservatory, near a heater or near a pre-heating oven. Just somewhere where the bowl can warm up, but not in the oven as this can kill the yeast. The mixture will froth up, as the yeast actives. You’ll know it’s activating as you’ll be able to smell the yeast.
3. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl, pour in the activated yeast mixture along with a drop of pink food gel.
4. Knead the dough until its smooth and when you press it, it bounces back. The dough should smooth out and become less tacky. You can use a stand mixer with a dough hook or you can do this with your hands on a clean floured surface. Don’t over knead or the rolls will be tough. If you need to add some more flour, add a little bit at a time to get it to a smooth, bouncy dough.
5. Form the dough into a neat and smooth ball and place into a bowl which has been lightly greased with some oil (I like to use sunflower oil, or a neutral flavoured oil.) Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave to prove in a warm area for 1 – 2 hours or until doubled in size.

Method (filling)

1. Place the fresh or frozen raspberries into a medium-sized saucepan and sprinkle over the sugar, water and cornflour. Add in the strawberry/raspberry jam too.
2. Place on top onto the hob over a low heat and bring to a simmer. This will take around 5-8 minutes. Keep stirring with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon to prevent the mixture from sticking and burning. It will start to thicken. Once thick, remove from the heat and allow to cool before using. As it cools, it will thicken up even more and turn jelly-like.
3. Store in a sealed container in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. If the compote turns too thick, give it a stir to loosen it before using.

Assemble the rolls 

1. Once the dough has doubled in size, grease a 11 x 9 inch square or round dish with oil and set aside.
2. Turn the risen dough out on to a floured surface. Use a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 16” x 24” rectangle. The thinner the dough, the more swirls you’ll get.
3. Using a spatula or spoon, spread the jam mixture over the entire rectangle of dough, making sure to leave an inch border round the edge. Sprinkle over some finely chopped fresh strawberries (optional).
4. Working from the long edge, roll the dough into a large log, pinching the ends together so it stays together and doesn’t fall apart. Using cotton or floss, cut the dough (Watch my video tutorial here). This recipe makes approximately 9-10 rolls, depending how large or small you cut them. Place the rolls into the greased dish, leaving a tiny bit of space between the rolls as they will puff up when they prove and bake!
5. Cover the dish again with a tea towel and allow the rolls to rise in a warm place for a further 40 minutes – 1 hour. During this second prove, they will be very puffed up and fluffy.
6. Pre-heat your oven to 180° C fan. When the rolls are puffed up, brush the edges of the rolls with some dairy-free milk and place into the middle of the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until risen and golden in colour. You can test they are baked by inserting a toothpick into the rolls. If it comes out clean, they’re ready but if the tooth pick has some dough or batter on, they need more time in the oven to bake.
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool fully in the dish before frosting.

Method (frosting)

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, add in the dairy-free butter and cream cheese, whisk until creamy. You can use a stand mixer with balloon whisk attachment or a electric hand whisk. You can even use a standard hand whisk for this.
2. Add in the icing sugar and vanilla. Whisk together until no lumps remain. If it’s too runny, add in more chunks of butter to get it to the right thick and creamy consistency. If it’s too thick, add in a splash of dairy-free milk.
3. If you want a glaze, drizzle over the buns while they’re warm. If you want the frosting to hold it’s shape on top of the buns, spread it on when the buns are cool.
4. Decorate the rolls with a sprinkle of freeze dried berries and some fresh chopped strawberries. This is optional but adds more colour and fruity flavour.