Chelsea buns
Prep
25 mins
Cook
20 mins
Servings
9
Difficulty
Medium
These Chelsea buns are an absolute joy to make and they're faster than you'd think. With just forty five minutes from start to finish, you can have warm, fragrant buns fresh from the oven before lunchtime. The dried fruits like currants and sultanas are packed with natural energy and fiber, making them a more nourishing treat than many store bought alternatives. What I love most is how simple the dough is to work with and how the mixed spice fills your kitchen with the most wonderful aroma as they bake. They're perfect for a weekend breakfast or afternoon tea, and honestly, they cost just pennies to make at home.
Ella x
Ingredients
- 450 gstrong white flour plus extra for dusting
- 12 x 7g sachets fast-action yeast
- 50 ggolden caster sugar
- 150 mlwarm milk
- 11 egg beaten
- 50 gunsalted butter melted(plus extra for greasing)
- 1oil for greasing
- 25 gsoftened butter plus extra for greasing
- 100 gcurrants
- 50 gsultanas roughly chopped
- 2 tspmixed spice
- 25 gcaster sugar
- 2 tbspgolden or white caster sugar
Detail level
Instructions
- 1
Start by making the dough. Mix together the flour, yeast, caster sugar and 1 tsp sea salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the warm milk, beaten egg and melted butter. Mix well, first with a wooden spoon then with your hands until you get a soft dough. If it feels dry add a bit of warm water, but if it feels too sticky and wet add a spoonful of flour.
- 2
Dust your work surface with flour and tip the mixture onto it and start kneading. Keep kneading the dough until it feels smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball and sit it in a clean bowl, lightly greased with melted butter or oil. Cover with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hr or until doubled in size.
- 3
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and grease a deep 21 x 21cm square tin. Dust the work top with a little more flour then start to knead the risen dough on the prepared surface just to knock the air out. Shape into a 20 x 30cm rectangle. To fill the buns gently spread the softened butter over the dough and then scatter the currants and chopped sultanas over the top. Mix the mixed spice and caster sugar together in bowl then sprinkle that over the dough in an even layer.
- 4
Roll the dough up in a tight spiral from the longest edge like a Swiss roll then slice into 9 equal sized swirled buns. Arrange them in the tin, cut side up then cover with a clean, damp tea towel and leave to prove in a warm place for around 30 mins or until doubled.
- 5
Bake the buns for 10 mins, then reduce the temperature to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and cook for a further 10 mins. For the glaze, stir the caster sugar together with 1 tbsp water until the sugar has dissolved then brush it all over the buns as soon as they are cooked. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins before serving. Can be eaten hot or cold.
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