PUSHING, pulling and pummelling. Squeezing, stretching and slapping. No matter what your technique, kneading dough is one of life's pleasures.

The gluten takes the brunt of your strains and stresses and after ten minutes of kneading you're left with a satisfyingly weary ache in your arms and a smooth, well-stretched dough.

An hour later, the irresistible aromas fill every nook and cranny of your home – creative and delicious, it's no wonder homemade bread remains as popular as ever.

There's also something of an Enid Blyton Famous Five ration-time joy about homemade iced fingers, which conjure up memories young and old alike – and not forgetting the Railway Children film on Bobby's birthday, and Billy Bunter gorging himself on an iced cream bun.

Growing up in Keighley in the seventies, most family-run bakeries prided themselves on a plump basketful of freshly-baked iced buns displayed in the window around mid-morning, the time for most to enjoy a well-earned brew and a trip to the local bakers for a sticky iced finger. And oh yes, there was enough sweetness to let you know you were somewhere between dessert and bread...not a bad place to be before lunchtime, eh?

This simple confection, something of a lost nostalgic bake today, was cheap and cheerful, an excellent symbol of Yorkshire baking resilience – not everything can be wrong with our great county with such a classic bun to fall back on!

Iced buns, or school buns as we tend to call them in Yorkshire, have two essential ingredients – icing and bread, with the bread not being the same as a hot dog roll, but enriched with lots of lovely butter, eggs and milk. You can add as much icing as you want too, flavour it or fill the bun with jam and fresh cream. Most shop-bought iced fingers are just basic white bread rolls covered with coloured icing.

My recipe is simple and honest.

RECIPE

ICED OR SCHOOL BUNS

Makes 12

Ingredients:

500g/1lb 2oz strong bread flour

10g salt

50g/2oz caster sugar

50g/2oz unsalted butter, cold

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 sachets fast action yeast

200ml/7fl oz warm milk

Fillings and toppings:

300g/10oz icing sugar, sift

5 tablespoons cold water

200ml/7fl oz double cream, optional

100g/4oz strawberry jam, optional

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, yeast and sugar then rub in the butter with your fingertips to form breadcrumbs.

2. Combine the milk with the eggs and make a soft, sticky but playable dough.

3. Knead the dough well with a little flour for 10 minutes until it becomes smooth, springy and elasticated.

4. Return the dough back to the mixing bowl and cover with a tea towel, allowing to prove for an hour.

5. Once risen well, divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll into balls, then into fingers 12cm/4'' long, placing your fingers onto a greased baking tray allowing room to spread.

6. Allow to rise for around 40 minutes before baking in a preheated oven 200C/180C fan/Gas Mark 7 for around 10 minutes or till golden colour. Leave to cool fully on a wire rack, before making the icing to spread over.