Beetroot Cinnamon Rolls with Ginger
·Beetroot purée
Cook diced beetroot until tender, then blend into a smooth purée.
Yeast starter
Dissolve a teaspoon of sugar in slightly warm water and stir in the dried yeast. Leave for about 3 minutes until it starts to foam.
Making the dough base
Add the beetroot purée, sugar, egg, buttermilk, butter, orange juice (a teaspoon) and zest. It's important that all the ingredients are at room temperature.
Mix it all together
Mix well until everything is combined, then add the flour and salt. Mix thoroughly again, dust lightly with flour, cover with a tea towel in a larger bowl and leave to rise (1.5–2 hours) — ideally somewhere warm, as this helps the dough rise.
Spread with the cinnamon filling
Divide the dough into 4–5 pieces. Roll each piece out into a sheet about 3mm thick, brush with melted butter, sprinkle with cinnamon, sugar and ginger, then roll up into a log.
Cut into triangles
Slice diagonally so the pieces form rough triangle shapes. Don't cut all the way through at the top or bottom point, so the roll stays in one piece — see photo.
Press down the middle
Arrange the triangles on a baking tray and use the blunt side of a knife to press down the centre of each one, so the rolled edges fan out more. Don't cut all the way through.
Bake
Brush with melted butter and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 15 minutes.
Tip
You can keep the remaining dough in the fridge to stop it rising further and bake it later, for example after 2 days. Alternatively, the dough can be frozen and baked at a later date.
