Method

• 1.
  For the frosting, place the cream cheese, butter and yoghurt powder in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Sift the icing sugar on top. Beat with the paddle attachment for 10 minutes on speed 4 (below low) until fluffy and pale
• 2.
  If not using straight away, store the frosting in a tub with a piece of plastic wrap pushed onto the surface to prevent it forming a crust. Keep chilled after 8 hours. To return to spreadable consistency, warm with short 20-second zaps in the microwave or leave in a warm place.
• 3.
  For the zingy lemon stuff, juice one lemon and place the juice in a non-reactive saucepan with the water. Trim the stalk end off the other lemon, halve it, and remove any visible seeds, then slice into thin half-moons and add to the lemon juice in the saucepan. Cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer over a low heat until all the pith is translucent. Take care the lemon doesn’t catch any colour as it simmers - the scorch will add an unpleasant flavour.
• 4.
  You can also use the microwave: cover with a lid and zap for 3 minutes on high. Cool, then whiz to a paste in a food processor. Scrape into a small container, doing a final seed check, and chill.
• 5.
  Spray a shallow 20cm × 30cm × 5cm deep baking tray with cooking oil spray and line with baking paper.
• 6.
  To make the dough, add the water to the bowl of an electric stand mixer and stir in the yeast until dissolved. Add the egg, egg yolk, butter and vanilla, then weigh the flflours, sugar and milk powder on top. Add a heaped 1/2 tsp fine sea salt and the vodka last. Knead for 10 minutes on speed 4 (below medium), stopping to scrape the dough a few times. At the 7 minute mark, add in the dried fruit, lemon and orange zest. At times, force the butter into the dough with your spatula to encourage it to cohere. It will be a sticky, slumpy mass (not a ball). Look for an elastic response (it should bounce back when poked) and a fifibrous appearance when you scrape the dough during the kneading. The dough will start to rise up the dough hook at the end of the kneading. Let go of the clichéd goal of a tight ball of dough. This dough will firm up during the long, cold proof into a structurally sound dough. Scrape the dough into a plastic tub sprayed with cooking oil. Spray the top of the dough and pop the lid on. Leave to proof for 30 minutes at room temperature (less if your kitchen is warm). The dough will have spread a little and feel faintly puffed.
• 7.
  Do your first folds. Dampen your hands with water, reach into the tub and pick the dough up at one end. Raise it 20cm, give it a hearty shake, then lower it back down, folding it on itself as you go. Spin dough 90° so the open end faces you, then repeat this fold three or four times until the dough feels smooth and springy. The folds develop extra gluten strength in this very soft dough. Sticky at the start, by the end of the fold steps, the dough will feel more elastic and stronger and have some puffy blisters of air forming. Place dough back into tub, cover and leave for another 30 minutes, then do another set of three or four shake-and-folds. After the last fold, re-spray and press a piece of plastic wrap to the surface of the dough. Re-lid the tub, then chill overnight. It will be ready to use after 12-18 hours. Making the dough the day before and allowing a long, cold overnight proof has many benefits – more flavour and tenderness, and it makes shaping such a soft dough much easier.
• 8.
  On a lightly floured counter, divide the chilled dough into six 105g portions and gently shape into balls. Leave on the counter with a tea towel over the top and rest for 10 minutes. This little pre-shape will relax the dough so you can roll evenly shaped cigars (with minimum bounce back).
• 9.
  Using as little extra flour as possible, roll the balls into smooth, even-diameter cigars around 15cm long. Place the dough cigars in parallel lines on the lined tray. Space them 1cm apart so they’ll touch during baking. Free-range, far-apart buns won’t puff as much without support from their bun buddies. Spray the tops with cooking oil and cover with plastic wrap. Leave at room temperature for the final proof of around 30-60 minutes, until they’re a little puffed and snuggling each other. Towards the end of the proof, preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced.
• 10.
  While the buns proof, finish the frosting by stirring 50g of Tiff’s zingy lemon stuff into the yoghurt frosting. Set aside at room temperature, or chill if it’s a warm day.
• 11.
  Combine the lemon juice and sugar in a small non-reactive saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 seconds, until viscous like oil. Turn the heat off and set the syrup aside to cool at room temperature. Chop the slivered pistachios to a coarse crumb.
• 12.
  When the buns bounce back lazily when poked, put them in the oven. Turn the heat down to 190°C/170°C fan-forced and bake for 18-20 minutes. The bun tops will be a light tan colour, springy to touch, and the internal temperature will be 95°C.
• 13.
  As soon as the buns come out of the oven, brush the lemon syrup all over the tops and sides. Leave the tray to completely cool on a wire rack for around 1 hour. If your frosting is chilled, take it out of the fridge now.
• 14.
  To finish the buns, pull a bun away from its buddies. Using a small, sharp serrated knife, split the cooled bun like a hot dog bun, keeping the base intact, and smooth a good smear of softened butter on each cut side. Press the halves back together.
• 15.
  Load the softened frosting into a piping bag with a medium plain nozzle in place. Pipe a tight squiggly spine down the top of the bun and sprinkle a pile of crushed pistachios liberally on top.