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Fartons
Fartons: Alboraya's long, glazed sweet buns made for dipping in horchata
In Alboraya, just north of Valencia, the horchaterías that serve cold tiger-nut horchata in summer put a plate of fartons beside every glass: long, slim, soft buns with a shiny sugar glaze, designed to be dunked and to soak up the milky drink without falling apart. The dough is enriched with egg, milk and sunflower oil rather than butter, which gives them their light, cottony crumb. They are just as good with coffee or cold milk. A common mistake is rushing the second rise; under-proved fartons stay tight and bready instead of airy. Chef's tip: roll each strip a little thinner than you think, about as thick as your finger, because they almost double in the oven.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the dough
To finish
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Fresh ingredients (4)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Stir ⅔ oz fresh yeast into ½ cup whole milk until dissolved. In a large bowl mix 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour, 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar and ½ tsp salt.
Step 2: Add the yeast milk, 2 eggs, ¼ cup sunflower oil and 1 tsp lemon zest and mix to a soft dough. Knead for 10 minutes by hand (or 6 minutes in a mixer) until smooth, silky and slightly tacky; it should stretch thin without tearing.
10 minStep 3: Cover and leave in a warm place until doubled, about 1 to 1½ hours.
75 minStep 4: Line two large baking trays with baking paper. Knock back the dough and cut it into 16 equal pieces. Roll each into a rope about 20 cm long and finger-thick, then lay them on the trays at least 4 cm apart.
Step 5: Cover loosely and prove for another 45 to 60 minutes, until puffy and a gently pressed fingertip leaves a dent that springs back slowly. Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) towards the end.
50 minStep 6: Brush the buns with 1 egg and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until light golden on top and pale underneath. Keep them pale: overbaked fartons go crusty and won't soak up horchata.
14 minStep 7: Whisk 4 oz icing sugar with 2 tbsp water to a thick, pourable glaze. Brush it over the fartons while they are still warm, then leave to set and cool on a rack.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 195 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does fartons take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
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