Melody Teh
Food & Wine

Chelsea buns

This plump, fruit-filled bun has been around since the 18th century, and there’s a reason it remains popular to this day. Try our cranberry version of this English institution.

Ingredients:

Method:

  1. Whisk together the milk, yeast, and two teaspoons of the caster sugar. Leave aside in a warm place for about 10 minutes, until frothy.
  2. Into a large bowl, sift the flour then stir in the salt and remaining caster sugar.
  3. Use your fingertips to rub the chopped butter into the flour mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  4. Add the milk mixture and eggs and stir until combined. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth (around 10 minutes).
  5. Place the dough into a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm place for at least 40 minutes, or until doubled in size.
  6. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a rectangle of about 30cm by 35cm. Set aside two teaspoons of the softened butter and spread the rest over the dough.
  7. In a bowl, combine the cranberries brown sugar, cinnamon, and orange rind. Spread this mixture evenly over the buttered dough.
  8. Roll the dough from the longer side. Cut into three-cm-thick slices and place into a greased a 20 to 25cm cake tin or baking dish. Be sure to leave a little room between each bun. Set the buns aside for about 20 minutes to rise.
  9. Preheat your oven to 200°C and spread the remaining softened butter over the buns.
  10. Bake buns for two to 25 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and cooked through. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Images: Shutterstock

Tags:
food, wine, recipe, Chelsea buns