Devonshire Splits

or Chudleighs, the derivation of which is unknown.  There are also Cornish splits which are larger.  I made these for book no.2’s photoshoot which was not done brilliantly, but  not bad for an amateur.  My brother came in and immediately ate about 3 of these!  They are extremely rich, very delicious and a little like a doughnut.

Cream, sometimes milk, is added instead of water when mixing.  Each bun is split and a dollop of cream topped with jam is added.  So all those ladies looking for a bikini body – do not eat –  I gave up on that long ago!

Makes 14

Ingredients

400g strong white bread flour
20g sugar
20g butter, softened
7g dried yeast
300mls cream
Icing sugar

1.      Put the flour, yeast, sugar and butter in a bowl or mixer with a kneading attachment.
2.      Warm the cream to a tepid temperature and pour it on top of the ingredients in the bowl, mixing with a knife or kneading attachment.
3.      Knead for 5 minutes (10 minutes by hand) and then cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave for an hour.
4.      Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
5.      Take a golf ball size piece of dough and form it into a smooth round by folding it over itself  until you have a smooth surface.
6.      Repeat this until you have finished the mixture and leave them on a baking sheet for half an hour or until doubled in size.
7.      Bake in the oven for 20 minutes and then remove onto a wire rack to cool.
8.      Once cool, put a slit in the bun as if you were making a sandwich but not cutting it in half and the bun needs to remain in one piece.
9.      Now add a large spoonful of whipped cream and a teaspoonful of jam on top and sift some icing sugar onto the surface of the buns.
10.  Serve and indulge.