Chelsea Buns

By: Pete on 08:09:00

For some reason just saying the word "Chelsea" put the song Chelsea Dagger in my mind, so I as humming it all morning when I made these. I made them for the first time a couple of years ago, and never really got round to doing them again, but there was a bike race on, and I wanted something to hand out to the team afterwards (for race-prep, I was handing out Fast Fudge, which must have worked, as we won!)

I sort of winged this recipe a bit...a fairly simple enriched dough, then layered in the sugar and fruit, chopped it all up and eventually baked it. They came out pretty well, though I think the traybake tin I use may be a little too small.

Chelsea Buns

Dough Ingredients

• 500g strong white flour
• 275ml warm milk (maybe a bit more of less, depending on the thirstiness of your flour)
• 50g softened butter
• 5g salt
• 8g fast-action yeast
• 1 large egg
• Sunflower oil (for greasing)

1) Place the flour, salt and yeast in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment

2) Add the egg and begin to mix.

3) Slowly add the milk until a dough ball forms. You may not need all the milk

4) Mix for 5 minutes on medium speed,

5) Take the dough out of the mixer and fold in the butter

6) Return to the mixer and continue to knead for 6-7 minutes, until a smooth glossy dough has formed

7) Grease a container, and place the dough in, covering the container with cling-film

8) Leave to prove for 1-2 hours, until over doubled in size

Filling Ingredients

• 30g butter
• 80g soft brown sugar
• 150g dried fruit (I used sultanas)
• 2-3tsp ground cinnamon (to flavour...I like cinnamon!)

1) Lightly grease a 20cmx30cm tray-bake tin with sunflower oil (or, as I probably should have done, line it with baking parchment)

2) On a slightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a rectangle 40cm x 30cm

3) Melt the butter in a microwave

4) Brush the butter over the dough rectangle

5) Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon evenly over the dough rectangle

6) Spread the dried fruit out evenly over the dough rectangle

7) Using a rolling pin, gently press the filling into the dough

8) Starting on a long end, roll the dough up to form a tight roll.

9) Chop the roll into 12 equal chunks (easiest way to do this is chop it in half, then halves again, then you can normally judge by eye the final third's)

10) Place the slices on end in the greased traybake tin in a 3 x 4grid

11) Slightly brush the rolls with sunflower oil, then cover and leave to prove for an hour

12) Pre-heat the oven to 190'C

13) Place the tin in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the buns are golden in colour. While they are baking, make the glaze

Glaze Ingredients

• 30g milk
• 30g caster sugar

1) Place the milk and sugar in a small microwave-proof bowl

2) Cook for 20 seconds and stir...repeat this until you have a warm liquid with all the sugar fully melted/dissolved

3) When the buns come out of the oven, use a pastry brush to cover the buns with the glaze

4) remove from the tin, and leave to cool.