← Nouns Cooking · Bakery

Ingredients

• 450 g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• 50 g caster sugar
• 7 g fast-action dried yeast (1 sachet)
• 1 tsp Salt
• 250 ml whole milk, lukewarm
• 50 g Butter, melted
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 30 g butter, very soft
• 75 g light brown soft sugar
• 2 tsp mixed spice (or ground cinnamon)
• 100 g Currants
• 75 g Sultanas (golden raisins)
• 1 orange, zest only (optional)
• 2 tbsp caster sugar, dissolved in 2 tbsp hot milk, to glaze

Method

1. Mix the flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add the warm milk, melted butter and egg and knead for 8–10 min until smooth and springy. Cover and leave somewhere warm for 1 hour until doubled.
2. Butter a 23 cm square tin. Mix the brown sugar, spice, currants, sultanas and orange zest.
3. Roll the dough on a floured surface into a 30 x 25 cm rectangle with a long side towards you. Spread with the soft butter and scatter the fruit mixture over, leaving a 2 cm strip bare along the far edge.
4. Roll up tightly from the near side and pinch the seam to seal. Cut into 9 equal slices and arrange them cut-side up in the tin, 3 by 3. Cover and leave to rise for 30 min until they press together.
5. Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan, 375°F). Bake for 20–25 min until risen and golden brown (the centre bun should read about 90°C / 195°F); cover loosely with foil if the tops darken too quickly.
6. Brush with the sugary milk glaze as soon as they come out of the oven, then leave to cool a little in the tin before tearing apart.

Tips

• Baking them close together is what gives Chelsea buns their soft, square sides.
• For iced buns, drizzle with a thin icing of 100 g icing sugar and a little orange juice once cool.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Good Food BBC Food (Paul Hollywood)