British buns don’t get much more traditional than the Chelsea. Soft and sticky and curled with layers of spice and juicy sultanas, when we break it down there isn’t much to it. What there is though, is a foundation of well made, well risen light and fluffy enriched bread dough which makes our humble flavours shine brightly.

Be aware that sweet doughs tend to be slow movers. As always rising times are affected by temperature, the warmer it is the faster it will puff and the cooler it is the slower it happens. So, consider this and all bread recipes a guide in terms of timings. I have included my kitchen temperature below for comparison. Let them rise until properly delicate before baking for best results and remember, have fun!

This recipe is my gift to you, thank you for popping by to Foodies this year, I hope you have had a great time! If you’d like to join me in a bread making course in person or online you can, I’ll pop the links below for you.

Enjoy this one,

Jack

Notes

My ktichen temperature: 21 ̊ C

Makes 8 Large buns in a high sided 34cm x 24cm baking tray

5 minutes ahead of time / 5.5 Hours For the buns

Ingredients

12g         Dry Fast Action Yeast or 24g Fresh Yeast

260g       Milk warmed to around 30-35  ̊C

420g       Strong White Bread Flour

50g         Golden Caster Sugar

6g           Salt

40g         Soft Unsalted Butter

For the filling

100g       Soft Unsalted Butter

125g       Soft Brown Sugar

2tbsp     Mixed Spice

140g       Sultanas

To finish

50g         Golden Caster Sugar

Some pearl sugar nibs

Method

Ahead of time: 5 minutes / Overnight soak

1.       Place the sultanas in a small bowl, cover with water and leave to soak overnight.

2.       Drain reserving the water, and pat the sultanas dry with kitchen paper.

Making the Dough: 15-20 minutes

1.       In a large mixing bowl dissolve the yeast in the milk. Add the flour, sugar, salt and butter and mix together with a dough scraper. Knead on a clean table for 10 minutes.

Rest: 2 hours

2.       Place the dough back into the bowl and cover with clingfilm or another upturned bowl. Leave to rest at room temperature for 2 hours.

Fill and shape: 20 minutes

3.       Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly dusted surface. Use a rolling pin to roll out into a 40cm square.

4.       Spread evenly with the softened butter all the way to the edges but leaving a strip bare at the edge closest to you. Mix the soft brown sugar and mixed spice together and sprinkle it over the top. Pat down flat with your palms before scattering over the sultanas.

5.       Roll the dough up into a sausage and use that bare strip to seal. Dust your dough and use a piece of cotton thread to snip into eight equal sized rounds. Arrange them spaced out in your parchment lined tray.

Rest: 2-2.5 hours

6.       Loosely cover the tray with clingfilm and rest at room temperature for 2-2.5 hours until delicate and puffy.

7.       Preheat your oven to 180  ̊C Fan / 400  ̊F / Gas Mark 6 with a shelf in the middle and deep roasting tray beneath. Half fill a kettle with water.

Bake: 20-25 minutes.

8.       Boil the kettle.

9.       Place your buns on the oven shelf, carefully pour the hot water into the tray beneath and close the oven door. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden.

Finishing: 10 minutes

10.   Remove your buns from the oven and leave them in the tray.

11.   In a small saucepan place 50g of reserved sultana liquid (top up with water if you need to) and 50g golden caster sugar. Bring to the boil and reduce until thick. Brush over your warm buns followed by a sprinkle of pearl sugar nibs and leave to cool.