Hi, so it’s mid November and the excitement for Christmas in our house is definitely building. We all love Christmas, even though we still have our daughter’s and my birthday to celebrate in December, before Christmas. These amazing Homemade Chelsea Buns are perfect for baking any time of the year, but especially in the run up to Christmas. The scent of cinnamon and bread, fills the house as these buns bake in the oven.
I love the build up to Christmas. Stir up Sunday when we make our Christmas cake, advent calenders, present shopping, decorations. Spending time with friends and family, getting excited together.
As a family we all love each single thread that pulls together and makes a complete Christmas. The spicy scents, wafting from the kitchen, that evoke memories and shared experiences.
Creating a surprise
Our children and their parents, love these Homemade Chelsea Buns with a big mug of steaming coffee, or hot chocolate, for breakfast. Unravelling the light, spiced dough and uncovering juicy, plump, sweet, fruits. Sticky and sweet. Traditionally Chelsea Buns are finished with a sprinkle of sugar, however since discovering how good they taste with a lemon drizzle on top I wouldn’t want to make them any other way.
One of my favourite things to do at the weekend is to sneak downstairs, whilst everyone else is still asleep and make something scrumptious for breakfast. and that is exactly what I did a couple of weeks ago. I couldn’t sleep, so I snuck into the kitchen, fuelled by hot cups of tea and baked these Homemade Chelsea Buns.
Everyone was so happy when they awoke to the scent of home cooking and found a big plate of warm buns, waiting to be devoured, on the table.
Unfortunately, due to the early morning light, the photos weren’t great. Shame eh? So I made these again during the day and they were gone by the following afternoon! Happily I had snapped some photos, before they were all munched.
I wouldn’t want you to limit making these only over the festive season. They are however, a wonderful warm up to full on Christmas cooking and baking.
Recipe: Makes 12 Homemade Chelsea Buns
For the buns
500g/1lb 2oz Strong White Bread Flour I use Shipton Mill (organic white bread flour)
10g Fast Action Dried Yeas – I use Allinson Dried Yeast in the green tub or sachets
250ml/8fl oz Whole Milk – at room temperature
2 Large Free Range Eggs
25g/1oz Caster Sugar
50g/2oz Unsalted Butter
10g Salt
225g/8oz Dried Mixed Fruits – alternatively, if you are not a fan of vine fruits, dried figs, dates, apricots and cranberries all work extremely well in this recipe.
100g/4oz Soft Light Brown Sugar
4tsp Cinnamon
For the glaze
150g/5oz Icing Sugar
Juice of 1 Lemon
Method: You will need a buttered or baking parchment lined 10″ x 12″ baking tin at least 2” deep (25cm x 30cm x 5cm).
Making the bun dough
In the bowl of a bread maker or a stand mixer, with a dough hook attached, add the milk, lightly beaten egg, caster sugar and yeast.
Add the flour, salt and butter.
Switch the bread maker cycle to dough and press start.
With a stand mixer, lower the dough hook and mix on medium speed until all the ingredients are combined. Continue mixing for a further 10 minutes. Turn the mixer off. Place all the dough into the bowl, cover with a clean cloth and leave until doubled in size – approximately 1-2 hours.
While the dough is proving mix the dried fruit, sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Set to one side.
When the bread maker has completed its dough cycle, restart for 2 minutes, to mix and knock back the dough.
With the stand mixer, once the dough has doubled in size, remove the cloth and turn out the dough on to a floured surface.
Shaping and filling the buns
- Turn the bread out on to a floured surface and form into a ball.
- Roll the dough out into a rectangle 12” x 9” (30cm x 22.5cm)
- Spinkle over the spiced fruit and sugar mixture so that it evenly covers the dough.
- Roll the dough up as tightly as possible.
- Ensure that the seam is underneath.
- Cut the rolled dough into 12 even portions. I find the easiest way is to cut the dough in half, cut each half in half and then cut each portion into 3.
- Place the buns into the buttered/lined baking tin.
Cover with a clean cloth, leave in a draught free place until doubled in size – approximately 30-45 minutes.
Baking the buns and adding the lemon drizzle
- Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan, 10 minutes before the buns are ready
- Place the tin in the middle of the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- The buns are cooked when they are golden and well risen.
- As soon as the buns are baked remove from the oven.
- Lift the baked buns out of the tin or use a pallet knife to loosen and lift the buns from the tin.
- Place on to a cooling rack.
- Weigh the icing sugar into a medium bowl. Stir briefly with a balloon whisk to break up any lumps.
- Add the juice from one lemon.
- Whisk the mixture together until it is smooth.
- Either fill a small piping bag with the lemon icing, snip a small hole and pipe the drizzle diagonally across the buns, or use a spoon to drizzle over the icing.
Time to delve in and devour a bun. They are absolutely delicious warm. Whether it’s a family breakfast around the table, or after a long afternoon walk, these Homemade Chelsea Buns are perfect at any time!
These buns are at their best the day they are made. However a quick and I mean less than 10 seconds, ping in the microwave refreshes them the following day.
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Creating memories and new traditions is important to me. Food plays a crucial part in that. As we sit round the table for dinner, in front of the telly with snacks, or at the beach with a well packed picnic I am always aware that these will be the times we remember. One special memory, is of a bonfire night, spent with my sister and her family, toasting s’mores around the fire and laughing. That is when feasting truly is fun!
Whatever you are making, baking and creating in your kitchens, have fun preparing and sharing your feast.
Sammie xx
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