Chelsea buns recipe

Details

• Cuisine: British
• Recipe Type: Baking
• Difficulty: Medium
• Preparation Time: 40 mins
• Cooking Time: 140 mins
• Serves: 12

Step-by-step

1. Start by making the dough. In a small pan add the milk and butter and gently heat until the butter has melted. Take off the heat and allow to cool slightly, you want it to be lukewarm.
2. In a stand mixer add the strong white flour, yeast, caster sugar, cardamom and salt, mix this together so the sugar and spices are mixed well in the flour. Then make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and add the beaten egg along with the milk and butter mixture.
3. Turn the stand mixer onto low and mix. Using the dough hook attachment on the stand mixer, continue to mix and knead the dough for 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
4. Cover the bowl in cling film and leave the bowl in a warm place for approximately 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
5. While the dough is proving, you can make the filling. In a large bowl mix together the softened butter with the light brown sugar, cinnamon and cardamom. Grease a 20 x 30cm baking tin with some of the softened butter.
6. When the dough has doubled in size, knock the air out with your fist. Then tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out till its roughly 30 x 50cm.
7. Leaving a space along one of the long edges to start your rolling, spread the spiced butter filling across the rest of the dough and smooth it out. Then sprinkle evenly across the top of this with the currants and dried cranberries, using your hands to press them into the dough slightly.
8. Using the long border you have kept clean, tightly tuck this under and roll the dough until you have a neat spiral with the filling.
9. Once rolled, use a sharp knife to trim off the messy ends, and then cut into 12 equal rolls. Then place the rolls, spiral side up, in the greased baking tin with a 1cm gap between them.
10. Loosely cover the tray with cling film and allow them to prove for a second time in a warm place for 30 minutes until well risen again.
11. While the buns are proving, preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4.
12. When the buns have risen and doubled again, they are ready to bake. Place them in the middle of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and baked through.
13. While they are baking, place the 2 tbsp golden caster in a small bowl and add a tbsp of boiling water, stir until the sugar has dissolved and then set aside to cool. Remove the buns from the oven and then brush all over with the caster sugar syrup, then allow the buns to cool.
14. For the final icing garnish, mix together the icing sugar with the spices. Then add 2-3 tbsp of water until it's smooth but with a good drizzle consistency. Place the icing into a small piping bag and snip off the end. Pipe and drizzle the buns with the icing in a zig zag pattern.

Recipe courtesy of Maldon.