Pàn de mèj (Elderflower and polenta sweet buns from Milan)

It is elderflower time now in England: on a sunny day if you come across elderflower bushes, you are hit by their unmistakable, intensely floral, sweet smell. Sambuco (elderflower) is the star ingredient of these very old, crumbly, perfumed Milanese buns, centuries ago  made with millet flour, later with corn (polenta) flour.  Traditionally, in Milan until the post First World War years, pàn de mèj buns were eaten on the 23rd April, St George’s day, the patron saint of lattai, milkmen. On that day, lattai used to offer single cream to their customers,  knowing that they would later on customarily pour it over the pàn de mèj .It is not certain why this tradition came about. A likely explanation is that once upon a time, St George’s day was when contracts for the supply of milk and cream between cattle keepers and lattai were signed and when the cattle would leave the flat lands of Lombardy for the mountain regions. The end of April is also when elderflower blossoms and it is abundant: it is thought that pàn de mèj buns were made to celebrate the event.

I like to nibble pàn de mèj with my morning coffee or with afternoon tea, but they would also go very well as a dessert with strawberries prepared Italian style (sliced and dressed with lemon juice and sugar) and cream, of course. They are at their best of the day of baking, still warm but they are also gorgeous lightly toasted. These are NOT supposed to be light and fluffy; in fact they are on the dry side because

Pàn de mèj/Elderflower and polenta sweet buns from Milan
for 12-14 buns, the size of a tangerine and slightly squashed

The sponge, to be prepared the night before
100g Plain flour – 100g
Instant dry yeast – 2.5g or one scant teaspoon
water, room temperature – 50g
milk- 50g

Mix the flour, yeast and liquid. Cover and let it prove for about 12 hours at room temperature.

250 g plain flour
100g fine polenta flour (it is called fioretto in Italian, otherwise use normal polenta flour and grind it in a coffee grinder)
100g coarse polenta flour
100g caster sugar
3 eggs
100g softened unsalted butter (update 2023: note to self: try once to use more butter)
3 tablespoons fresh elderflowers  (for a more pronounced elderflower flavour, use four tablespoons)
pinch of salt
granulated sugar and icing sugar to finish the buns

Next day add the plain flour, the polenta flours, sugar, eggs, elderflowers to the sponge, stir well and let the mix rest for half an hour. Add the salt and knead in the softened butter. Knead gently on a lightly floured surface. Let it rest for half an hour. Repeat the knead & rest three more times over one and a half hour. Transfer the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and let it prove in the switched off oven, where you have placed a mug full of freshly boiled water.

Transfer gently to a lightly floured surface and divide into 12-14 pieces. Shape them into small, slightly flattened buns, and let them prove for another hour, in the oven, with fresh steamy water.

Preheat the oven to 200° C.

Brush the buns with water,  sprinkle with granulated sugar and dust them liberally with icing sugar In some Italian sources the flat buns are dusted with elder flower and icing sugar before baking (they are the paler ones here, in the pictures).

Cook at 180° for about 20 minutes: the buns should not be completely dry inside because the corn meal will dry more when they are out of the oven (tip from Carol Field’s The Italian Baker). To check
The sugar on top will have cracked into an irregular design. Let them cool on a rack.

They keep for a few days. You can reheat them or toast them.

Notes:
For a simple and equally delicious pàn de mèj, check this.
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Update 2023

April 2023, Lucca. With the first elderflowers of the season, I have baked these buns again, after few years. I decided to try a more straightforward approach and it did work. Obviously, I cannot say which versione is better. I dispensed with the overnight sponge and I went for a straight dough