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Chelsea buns
Square-sided currant spiral buns with a sticky glaze
BritishThe Chelsea bun was the speciality of the Old Chelsea Bun House in London in the 1700s, where crowds queued on Good Friday; today the coiled, sticky bun is a bakery classic across England. A soft dough is spread with butter, brown sugar, currants and spice, rolled up, sliced and baked snugly in a tin so the buns rise into each other and come out square-sided. Chef's tip: pack the slices tightly; it is the squeeze that gives them their shape and soft edges.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour
- ¼ oz instant dried yeast
- 1 ¾ oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup milkwarm
- 1 ¾ oz buttermelted
- 1 egg
For the filling
- 1 ¾ oz buttersoft
- 2 ⅝ oz soft brown sugar
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 5 ½ oz currants
- 1 oz mixed peel
For the glaze
- 3 tbsp honey or golden syrup
- 1 tbsp caster sugarto sprinkle
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix the 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour, ¼ oz instant dried yeast, 1 ¾ oz caster sugar and 1 tsp salt, add the 1 cup milk, 1 ¾ oz butter and 1 egg and knead 10 minutes to a smooth, soft dough. Cover and rise 1 hour, until doubled.
70 minStep 2: Roll the dough into a 30 × 40 cm rectangle. Spread with 1 ¾ oz butter, then scatter over the 2 ⅝ oz soft brown sugar, 1 tsp mixed spice, 5 ½ oz currants and 1 oz mixed peel.
5 minStep 3: Roll up tightly from the long side and cut into 12 slices. Pack them cut-side up into a greased 23 × 33 cm tin.
5 minStep 4: Cover and rise 40 minutes, until puffy and pressed together. Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan).
40 minStep 5: Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden and the centre buns are cooked through. A common mistake is pulling them early; the middle ones stay doughy.
25 minStep 6: Warm the 3 tbsp honey or golden syrup and brush over the hot buns, then sprinkle with 1 tbsp caster sugar. Cool a little before pulling apart.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chelsea buns take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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