Go Back
–+ servings

Ħobża ta' San Martin (St Martin's Sweet Bun)

5 from 1 vote
Ħobża ta’ San Martin is a sweet mildly spicy soft bun that makes the traditional bag (borża) of St. Martin complete.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time:20 minutes
Cook Time:15 minutes
Resting Time:1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time:1 hour 55 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Maltese, Mediterranean
Keyword: Bread
Servings: 8
Calories: 322kcal
Author: apronandwhisk

Ingredients

Bun

  • 400 g bread flour
  • 75 g butter room temperature
  • 90 g sugar
  • 250 ml milk lukewarm
  • 1 sachet yeast 11g
  • 1 tsp whole aniseeds
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Syrup and decoration

  • 20 ml water
  • 20 g sugar
  • sesame seeds
  • liquorice pastels

Instructions

  • In a small bowl mix the lukewarm milk, yeast and 15g of sugar. Let the mixture foam for about 15 minutes.
  • In the meantime, mix the flour and the butter until you get a crumbly texture. Once ready add all the remaining ingredients together and knead the dough for about 15 minutes.
  • Cover the dough and let it rest for an hour in the warmest place in your kitchen until it doubles in size.
  • Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • Once the dough is ready, punch it down and knead for a couple of minutes. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts and form into balls.
  • Place the buns on the tray keeping a good amount of space between each one. Cover and let rise for another 20 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 200°C or 390°F. Make the syrup by mixing together the water and sugar.
  • Before placing the buns into the oven, brush them with the syrup and sprinkle the sesame seeds on top.
  • Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until the bun have a nice golden brown colour.
  • As soon as you take them out of the oven, place a liquorice pastel in the middle of the bun. Let the buns rest and enjoy!

Notes

  • Ideally, the buns are to be served on the same day or the day after as they dry out easily.
  • You can also cook them in an air fryer: 170°C or 340°F for 8 minutes.
  • Don't forget to include these buns in your St Martin's bag of treats :)

Nutrition

Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 74mg | Potassium: 106mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 288IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg