Britain has a rich history of bun baking – from your Sally Lunns, to your Shropshires and Hot Cross. One of the most famous (and revered by royalty) is the Chelsea Bun, whose earliest reference comes via the writer Jonathan Swift, who remarked upon the delicacy he’d enjoyed during a stroll in London in 1711.
The bun’s original home is thought to be the Chelsea Bun House on what’s now Pimlico Road. It was demolished in the late 1800s, but its legacy continues. Of sweet enriched dough, a whirl of buttery, sugary fruits, and sweet, sticky glaze.
A good Chelsea Bun truly is a thing to behold, and the most famous British maker today is Fitzbillies in Cambridge, where they continue to be a bestseller, fuelling some of the greatest minds in the world.
As with all enriched dough buns, they’re best eaten on the day they’re made, so set this aside as a holiday or weekend endeavour, to be enjoyed shortly after baking with a cup of tea or mug of coffee with friends and family.
Ingredients (makes 12)
- 500g strong white bread flour
- 7g dried yeast
- 75g caster sugar
- 50g unsalted butter
- 300ml milk
- 1 large egg
For the filling:
- 200g mixed dried fruit
- 1tbsp candied citrus peel, finely chopped
- 50g unsalted butter, very soft
- 70g demerara sugar
- 1tsp mixed spice
- Zest of 1 lemon
To finish:
- ½ jar apricot jam, warmed
Method
1. Combine the flour, caster sugar and yeast in a large bowl.
2. Gently warm the milk and butter together in a small pan until the butter just melts. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the milk/butter mix and egg. Bring the dough together with a knife and leave to rest for 10 minutes. On a floured surface, knead the dough for around 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
3. Place in an oiled bowl and cover, leaving in a warm place to rise for an hour or so until it’s doubled in size.
4. Line a large, deep roasting tin.
5. Punch the air out of the dough and turn it out onto a floured surface, rolling it out into a large rectangle (roughly the same size as your tin).
6. Spread over your softened butter, then sprinkle over the dried fruit, candied peel, lemon zest mixed spice and demerara sugar, ensuring it’s nice and even all over.
7. Roll up from the long edge, nice and tightly, so you end up with a sausage shape. Trim the edges and cut into 10-12 pieces around 4cm thick each.
8. Pop the buns into your tin, leaving around 1-1.5cm gaps between them, cover again and leave in a warm place until they’re risen, puffy and touching.
9. While they’re rising (around an hour), set the oven to 200C.
10. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden on top, covering with foil or greaseproof paper if they colour too quickly.
11. While still warm, brush with the apricot jam all over. They’re best enjoyed freshly ripped from the tray while they’re fresh, plump and soft.
