Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the milk & heat until just warmed through (do not boil or cook for long, only just heat until it is lukewarm). In a small bowl combine the yeast with a 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture + 1 tsp sugar. Let sit until dissolved & foamy.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flours, sugar, cinnamon & salt. Add the yeast mixture and remaining milk mixture. Mix on low speed until a dough forms. If it looks too dry & is not fully combining, drizzle in a little more milk until it comes together. Mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, 3–5 minutes. If kneading by hand, follow the same process but knead for a little longer. The dough should be soft & very lightly sticky to the touch but not overly so; add a little more flour if needed. The dough is fully kneaded when you slice into it with a sharp knife & see small air bubbles throughout.

Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean tea towel & let rise in a warm, draught free area for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Line 2–3 baking trays with parchment baking paper. Stir the filling ingredients in a small bowl until well combined & smooth.

Divide the dough in half. Take one half (cover the other with a tea towel) & roll it into a rectangle roughly 28 x 43 cm with the long edge facing you. Spread half of the filling over the dough, making sure to spread it all of the way to the edges.

Pick up the long end of the dough that is facing you and gently fold it over towards the long end that is facing away from you, so that it is folded in half lengthwise. Try not to stretch it too much, I use a dough scraper to help me here. Slice into 9 — 12 even strips. Shape the buns as per the post on Pantry Confidential (link at the top of this recipe in the details section) & place on the parchment lined baking trays, allowing about 5cm between each bun to give them room to rise — I had 6 buns per baking tray. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Cover the buns with a clean tea towel and let them rise for 45 minutes — 1 hour or until puffy. Preheat your oven to 225C during this rising period.

While the buns are rising, heat the water, light brown sugar, and vanilla bean seeds + pod in a small saucepan on high until the sugar has dissolved completely. Set syrup aside.

After the buns have risen, brush them with a little plant‐based milk. Bake the buns for about 10 — 12 minutes or until light golden brown & smelling delicious, making sure you rotate the pan halfway through to allow for even browning. As soon as they come out of the oven, brush them with a coating of the glaze, then sprinkle with a little raw sugar or pearl sugar. Serve warm or cool the rolls completely, then eat the same day or store them in an airtight container in the freezer. Eat with reckless abandon with a steaming mug of coffee in hand. Happy Fika!