Bun and Cheese

Bun and Cheese ranks 2nd in the list of the best foods in Antigua and Barbuda with recipe. Jamaican Bun and Cheese is a popular dish associated with Christian Easter celebrations in April. This snack is Jamaica's rendition of the Colonial tradition of Hot Crossed Buns, which are also utilized in the Easter celebration. The Jamaican bun, on the other hand, employs molasses, a byproduct of sugarcane processing that was more readily available than honey in Hot Crossed Buns. Aside from the molasses, this bun is shaped like a loaf and filled with indigenous spices and dried fruits, which gives it its distinctive flavor.

The cheese most commonly used in this snack is another local Jamaican product known as Tastee Cheese. This local cheese is a bright orange, canned, processed cheddar cheese known for its thick, rich, salty flavor. Jamaican Bun and Cheese is a real, local treat that has become a traditional snack that represents the evolution and combination of the history and people of Jamaica.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Unsalted Butter - Room temperature, 1 Bottle Dragon or Guinness Stout, 120 ml Fernandez Cherry Brandy, 1 tablespoon Guava Jam, 1 teaspoon Mixed Essence, ½ tablespoon Browning, 1 Egg - Room temperature, 200 grams Brown Sugar, 454 grams All Purpose Flour, 1 teaspoon Nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, 1 teaspoon Allspice, 1 teaspoon Baking Powder, 115 grams Mixed Peel - chopped, 115 grams Raisins, 1 Can Tastee Cheese, Glaze, 2 tablespoons Guava Jam, 2 tablespoons Water

Instructions

• Pour the milk into a large bowl, add the yeast and stir until dissolved.
• Let stand for 10 minutes.
• Add the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer.
• Add nilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar and mix.
• Dig a well in the center of this mixture, and pour the yeast/milk mixture into it.
• Using the dough hook, knead the dough at medium speed for 2 minutes.
• Add the pieces of butter and the salt and knead again at medium speed for 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and homogeneous.
• Cover the dough with a cloth, and let it rest for 20 minutes, in a warm place, away from drafts.
• Add the raisins, and knead again using the dough hook for 2 minutes or until the raisins are completely and evenly incorporated.
• Cover the dough again, and let it rest for 1 hour, in a warm place, away from drafts.
• Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface, and fold it into 4.
• Cover the dough with a cloth and let it rest again for 1 hour, in a warm place, away from drafts.
• Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and roll them up.
• Place the balls of dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them apart.
• Cover them with a cloth and let them rest for 25 minutes in a warm place away from drafts.
• During the last 20 minutes of proofing the buns, preheat the convection oven to 320 F (160°C).
• Using a small sharp knife, score the buns, giving them the shape of a grid.
• Bake the buns for 35 minutes.