Soft, sticky and fruity - the Chelsea bun

My love and baking is one of the reasons I started this little project of mine and my love of Chelsea buns is one of the reasons I started baking. Growing up in 1980′s Briton I have fond memories of going food shopping with my farther on a Saturday morning to my local Tescos. The sores back then where not the behemoth that they are now and I remember that if I behave whilst my dad pushed the trolley around my local Allerton Road store I was in for a treat at the cake counter at the exit. There was not the huge choice there is these days, it was between a Chelsea bun, chocolate eclair or sweet finger bun. I would alway try for all three, but when my pleas fell on deaf ears I would always end up going for a chelsea bun. What’s not to love, the sweet, rich dough, the sugary fruit filling and a glaze so sticky you need your dentist on speed dial.

For the dough

175ml milk

50g butter

450g strong flour

2g slat

3 tblsp sugar

7g easy bake yeast

1 egg

For the filling

50g melted butter

75g light muscovado sugar

150g dried mixed fruit

For the glaze

2 tblsp milk

2 tblsp honey

2 tblsp caster sugar

a cake tin 25 cm x 25cm 

Start by making the dough, melt the butter and warm the milk to about 30c and place in a mixing bowl with all of the other dough ingredients. Using a dough hook mix on a medium speed for 10 minutes unit the dough become elastic. Allow the dough to prove until it doubles in size for 1 hour and knock it back. Cut the dough in half and roll out into 2 rectangles 15cm x 40cm. Brush the rolled out dough with the melted butter and sprinkle with sugar and fruit and roll the dough up like a swiss roll along the long side. Cut each roll into 8 equal pieces and place all of the cake tin with 1 cm gap between each one. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180c for 25 min or until golden brown. Whilst they are cooking place the honey and milk in a bowl and warm in the microwave. When the buns come out of the oven brush the with the glaze and sprinkle ovet the caster sugar. Allow them cool and enjoy.