THE WITCHES + CURRANT BUNS

My brother and I watched this movie a LOT growing up and it totally holds up 30 years later. This time around, I admired Helga’s bad-assery (smoking cigars!) and how loving her relationship with Luke was.

Directed by: Nicolas Roeg

Starring: Anjelica Huston, Mai Zetterling, and Jasen Fisher

Screenplay by: Allan Scott (based on the book by Roald Dahl)

No luck finding a photo of Bruno or Luke eating the buns, so here’s a shot of Rowan Atkinson instead.

Currant Buns (recipe from the Well Seasoned Librarian: https://medium.com/one-table-one-world/currant-buns-morning-bun-that-should-be-a-household-mainstay-9f21775a4dfa)

Makes 12

1/2 c. lukewarm water (105-115 degrees F)

1/2 c. granulated sugar (pre-measure this out in a separate bowl since you’ll be using a tablespoon of it in the third step)

1 pkg. (1 tbsp.) active dry yeast

3 1/2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 c. whole milk, warm

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted

2 egg yolks, at room temperature

1/2 tsp. lemon zest

1/2 c. dried currants (upon re-watch, I realized that Bruno talks about the raisins in the buns (oops), so feel free to substitute!)

Soak currants (or raisins) in water overnight and then drain.

Make sure your egg yolks are at room temperature (this should take about 30 minutes).

Combine lukewarm water, yeast, and 1 tbsp. of the sugar in a large mixing bowl. Let it stand for 10 minutes (until it begins to proof/bubble).

Add flour, salt, and remaining sugar to the bowl. Stir in the milk, butter, egg yolks, vanilla, lemon zest, and currants. Beat until combined and a soft dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (my dough was pretty sticky at this point but after rising, it slid right out of the bowl and was easier to work with).

Spray a bowl with cooking spray and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a dishtowel. Let it rise for about an hour in a warm place (80-90 degrees F) until it has doubled in size.

Line a baking sheet with foil, and then spray with cooking spray. Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape the dough into a 12-inch log and then cut into 12 equal pieces, shaping each piece into a ball. Place the buns on the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Cover the sheet loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

Bake the buns in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, until golden brown.