Chelsea Buns -

Chelsea Buns

Ingredients

500g/1lb 2oz/4½ cups unbleached white bread flour
2.5ml/½ tsp salt
50g/2oz/¼ cup butter, softened
75g/3oz/6 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
5ml/1 tsp easy-blend dried yeast
225ml/8fl oz/scant 1 cup hand-hot milk
1 egg, beaten

For the glaze

50g/2oz/¼ cup caster (superfine) sugar
5ml/1 tsp orange flower water

For the filling

25g/1oz/2 tbsp butter, melted
115g/4oz/⅔ cup sultanas (golden raisins)
25g/1oz/3 tbsp mixed chopped (candied) peel
25g/1oz/2 tbsp currants
25g/1oz/2 tbsp soft light brown sugar
5ml/1 tsp mixed (apple pie) spice

Details

Makes: 12

Method

1. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl, then rub in the butter and stir in the sugar and yeast.

2. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the milk and egg. Mix the liquids into the dry ingredients to make a firm dough.

3. Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and knead thoroughly for about 10 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. Flour the mixing bowl, return the dough to it and cover with oiled clear film (plastic wrap). Leave in a warm place until doubled in size.

4. Lightly grease a 23cm/9in square cake tin (pan). When the dough has risen, turn it out on to a floured surface and knock it back (punch it down).

5. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a square that measures about 30cm/12in.

6. Brush the dough with the melted butter for the filling and sprinkle it with the sultanas, mixed peel, currants, brown sugar and mixed spice, leaving a 1cm/½in border along one edge.

7. Starting at a covered edge, roll the dough up, Swiss (jelly) roll fashion. Press the edges together to seal. Cut the roll into 12 slices and then place these cut side uppermost in the prepared tin.

8. Cover with oiled clear film. Leave the buns to rise in a warm place for about 30-45 minutes, or until the dough slices have doubled in size and are almost at the top of the tin.

9. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Bake the buns for 15-20 minutes, or until they have risen well and are evenly golden all over.

10. Once they are baked, leave the buns to cool slightly in the tin before lifting them out and transferring them to a wire rack to cool.

11. Gently heat the ingredients for the glaze in a small pan until the sugar is dissolved. Brush the mixture over the warm buns. Serve slightly warm.

COOK'S TIP:- Use icing (confectioners') sugar instead of caster sugar and make a thin glaze icing to brush or trickle over the freshly baked buns.

Energy 283Kcal/1199kj; Protein 5g; Carbohydrate 55.7g of which sugars 23.9g; Fat 6.1g of which saturates 3.5g; Cholesterol 14mg; Calcium 99mg; Fibre 1.6g; Sodium 138mg

Related food category:

• Cheer Me Up's