Latvian Bacon Buns 2016: for Bacon Lovers the World Over

Christmas Bacon Buns 2016: Refreshing Photo Instructions from Bacon Buns 2009

The fragrant dough encasing the smoky unctuous irresistible bacon buns filling casts this little parcel into the seriously addictive and undeniably unforgettable realm. It is a savory offering that those you share it with will accept with the reverence and revelry required to celebrate the flavours of goodness, the hand of friendship and the heartfelt warmth of the holiday season together.

Small little yeasty oblong puffs.

Unassuming.

Yet so laden with unexpected deliciousness.

A basket of warm Bacon Buns at breakfast, a napkin full of them mid-morning, a plate of one or two late in the evening… anytime of the day, they offer comfort and deep satisfaction.

As a child, Linda Celmainis used to save me one or two and I would cherish visiting her for this exotic and foreign pleasure in my youth. Many, many years later (38 to be exact), we reconnected and she shared her recipe with me and taught me how to make them. That compelling and cherished story is here. The story behind the food adds that irresistible je ne sais quoi. When making these buns, I am drawn to those water coloured memories of my youth in Linda’s kitchen, drinking her strong black Latvian coffee and feeling so grown up. She had no idea the mark she had made upon my heart and her bacon buns will forever connect me to her and that time in my life. This post is simply a straight forward “how to make the bacon buns” with step by step instructions and better photographs than I knew or was able to take in 2009.

Bacon Buns: Making the Dough

Mis en place, above: always such an important first step with any recipe. When organized, far less mistakes happen and it takes no longer to get the ingredients out than it does to “get the ingredients out”. You don’t do it twice. You only do it once. There are just more dishes, however, an entire system of checks and balances are already in place to ensure success that is missed when this step is left out. Your ingredient list is measured, and in place, but you haven’t read the instructions yet. Now is the time, and as you do this, there is a logical check for ingredient amounts. It is slick. If I ever have a bad day in the kitchen, it is usually because I miss this step.

Lucky me. I have a Thermomix machine that not only mills grains and legumes, but it kneads dough, so I use it. I weigh all ingredients into my machine and proceed as I do with any dough recipe. The instructions for making this by hand, which is so gratifying as well, are below in the recipe. Above, the milk, butter, sugar, eggs and salt were weighed into the bowl and scalded, then cooled enough to add the eggs through the hole in the lid. One cup of flour, cardamom and yeast were then added and mixed to combine.

Remaining flour is added and dough is kneaded. It is a very, very sticky fragrant dough. See below.

Thermomix bowl is almost always clean when making bread as it just pulls away from the bowl; however, the remainder of the dough will need to be scraped from the sides of the bowl and me added to the mix.

A very lightly floured surface makes all the difference.

Using a D-shaped spatula, form the dough into a ball and plop it into the prepared buttered proofing bowl.

Cover with a damp cloth and set aside to proof for an hour, or until double in size.

Bacon Buns: Making the Filling

The filling for the buns should be done before starting the dough, as it must be room temperature or cool to fill the buns properly.

Sautú the lardons and minced onion together until brown and translucent, but not crispy. See below.

Strain off the rendered fat, cover and chill until ready to use.

Bacon Buns: Shaping and Filling the Dough

Once the dough has proofed, using a D-shaped spatula, remove half of the dough from the bowl, portioning out individual bun sizes to 30 grams or one ounce each.

Making one at a time, flatten one portion of dough into a disc using the palm of your hand. Place a good bit of filling onto it and pinch the sides of the dough up over the filling, tucking in the end to form an oblong loaf shape.

Place seam side down a reasonable distance apart from each other on parchment covered baking sheet.

Portioning dough, some buns made already on the sheet in the background.

Bacon Buns: Baking the Buns

Once the pan is ready, proof buns again 30 to 45 minutes, or until doubled in size. Bake for 12 minutes until golden brown.

Brush immediately with butter when out of the oven for a soft sheen.

Of course! Tear one open! The aroma is intoxicating. The cardamom adds a special je ne sais quoi that is quite compelling. And, well, the bacon filling, simple as it is, is spectacular enrobed in a yeasty warm bun. Nothing more needed. Except another one!

5 from 1 vote

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Latvian Bacon Buns 2021

This recipe will make about 76 bacon buns with the dough at one ounce or 50 grams each. If you make them smaller as most seem inclined to do, it will make more! If making the dough in a TM31 Thermomix machine, halve the recipe and do it twice; works great in the TM5 Machine. Linda Celmainis taught me how to make these buns decades after meeting her and working for her. They are really delicious and this is a remake of my original post with clearer step by step images and instructions, and additional filling instruction change by her daughter, Diane, but the story is magic in the original post, and a must read.

Course Dough

Cuisine Latvian

Prep Time 3 hours

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 3 hours 12 minutes

Servings 72 buns

Author Valerie Lugonja via Linda Celmainis

Ingredients

Ingredients for Bacon Buns Dough in order, by hand:

• 100 grams or ½ cup warm water
• 30 grams or 2 tablespoons yeast
• 5 grams or 1 teaspoon sugar
• 580 grams or 2 ½ cups whole milk
• 220 grams or 1 cup unsalted butter
• 50 grams or ¼ cup sugar
• 5 grams or 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 free range know-your-farmer organic eggs (with beautiful dark yellow yolks)
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon cardamom (Linda's Secret)
• 720 grams or 6 cups white flour

Ingredients for Bacon Buns Dough, in order, with Thermomix:

• 100 grams or ½ cup warm water
• 5 grams or 1 teaspoon sugar
• 580 grams or 2 ½ cups whole milk
• 220 grams or 1 cup unsalted butter
• 50 grams or ¼ cup sugar
• 5 grams or 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 free range know-your-farmer organic eggs (with beautiful dark yellow yolks)
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon cardamom (Linda's secret)
• 30 grams or 2 tablespoons yeast
• 120 grams or 1 cup white flour
• 600 grams or 5 cups white flour

Ingredients for Filling:

• 1 kilo (one generous kilo) of really good double smoked bacon*, cut into lardons
• one large yellow onion , minced
• freshly ground black pepper , to taste (quite a bit)

Ingredients for Garnish

• 2 know-your-farmer large organic eggs, whisked (for egg wash)

Instructions

Instructions for Making Dough by Hand:

1. Place yeast, water and sugar in bowl; set aside for 15 minutes for yeast to proof (should triple in size)
2. Scald milk and butter; add salt and sugar
3. Whisk eggs
4. Temper eggs by adding ¼ cup of hot milk and butter mixture to eggs; add tempered eggs back into milk and butter mixture
5. Mix two cups of flour with cardamom into wet ingredients; pour yeast mixture and combine
6. Fold in remaining flour and knead; set aside to proof (about an hour)

Instructions for Making Dough via Thermomix Machine:

1. Place small bowl on lid of Thermomix and weigh yeast, 120 grams flour and cardamom; set aside

2. Prepare proofing bowl with butter; set aside

3. Place water, sugar, milk, butter, sugar and salt into mixing bowl; scald for 5 min/ 60°C/ speed 2

4. Cool 5 minutes or until temperature is at 45°C and set time for 7 min/40°C/speed 3.5 and add eggs through hole in lid, one at a time; once temperature reaches 40°C, or after 2-3 minutes; add set aside pre-weighed yeast/flour/cardamon mixture through hole in lid, and combine

5. Add remaining 600 grams flour into mixing bowl; stir to combine for 30 sec/ speed 3, until starting to form a ball

6. Set for 3 min/Knead and remove sticky dough from bowl with spatula onto a very lightly floured work surface

7. Using a D-shaped spatula, form sticky dough into a ball shape and place into a well buttered bowl to proof; cover with damp cloth and set aside until double in size (about 60 minutes)

Instructions for Making Filling for Bacon Buns:

1. Use one huge onion, peeled and minced (a generous cup)

2. Slice bacon thinly into lardons

3. Combine with hands in medium bowl, add pepper and mix well until fully incorporated

Instructions for Filling and Shaping Bacon Buns:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F
2. After dough has proofed (doubled in size), remove half with D-shaped spatula onto lightly floured work surface; place remainder back into the covered container until ready to use

3. Weigh dough into one ounce or 30 gram portions (36 to 38 total) and working with one at a time, flatten with palm of hand to small disc (to hold a generous teaspoon of bacon filling)

4. Place generous teaspoon of filling into dough disc

5. Pinch sides of dough together over filling lengthwise, like a loaf and pinch or tuck in ends to complete loaf shape

6. Place on parchment lined baking sheet, leaving generous amount of space between each for rising; set to proof again before baking (30-45 minutes)

Garnish with Egg Wash and Bake

1. Gently brush proofed dough with egg wash

2. Bake at 400°F for 12 minutes and immediately upon removing from oven; place on cooling rack

3. These freeze beautifully, if they last that long