Beehive Buns for the Feast of St. Ambrose

On December 7th we celebrate the feast of St. Ambrose of Milan.

"St. Ambrose is also known as the "Honey-Tongued Doctor," a pun on the saint's name (the word for honey in Latin is ambrosia); his preaching was said to be mellifluous, as sweet as flowing honey. Also according to legend, when Ambrose was a baby, a swarm of bees settled on his mouth, an omen that he would be a great orator. St. Ambrose is the patron of bee keepers, bees, candlemakers, domestic animals, learning, Milan Italy, and students. He is often depicted with a beehive or bees in his iconography, symbols which also indicate wisdom." ~ Catholic Culture

Here is a great recipe for Beehive Buns, which I made this past June for our last Good Shepherd's Garden Party.  The recipe is originally from an Easy to Bake, Easy to Make recipe card.

Beehive Buns

1 envelope (.25 oz) active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105F - 115F)
2/3 cup warm milk (105F - 115F)
1/2 cup honey, divided
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) plus 2 Tbsp butter, softened, divided
1/2 tsp. salt
3 1/2 -3 3/4 cups flour (I ended up using just over 3 cups)

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in milk, 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup butter. Stir in salt and enough flour to form a soft dough.

Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes.

Place dough in a greased bowl turning to grease the top also. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Lightly grease or spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Punch dough down; divide in half. Roll each half of dough into a 12 X 6 inch rectangle.

Cut one inch strips from the long edge of each rectangle. Curl into a behive shape with a wider base and narrower top on the baking sheet.

Cover; let rise until doubled in size again, about 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake buns until golden, 15-20 minutes.

Combine remaining honey and butter in a small saucepan.  Heat until butter melts.   Brush warm glaze over buns.

Yield: 1 dozen.

Additional recipes for the feast of St. Ambrose can be found in the archives.