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Chelsea Bun is a sticky spiral from London tea rooms, plump with fruit and spice, and glazed until it shines. It looks playful yet carries a bakery sense of craft. You tear along the soft whorls, meet syrupy edges, and find little pockets of cinnamon warmth and citrus brightness in every bite.
It suits easy breakfasts, mid-morning tea, or a brisk walk with coffee in hand. The dough pulls apart in tender sheets, then springs back with a light chew. Sugar glaze clings to your fingers, which is part of the fun. It is generous food, built for sharing and lingering conversation.
Bakers love it for reliability. Once you know the rhythm, you can scale the batch for a crowd or make a small tin for a quiet weekend. The bun rewards patient proving, gentle rolling, and a final brush of syrup. Simple steps, confident results, and a kitchen that smells like home.
What Is a Chelsea Bun?
A Chelsea Bun is an enriched yeast dough rolled into a rectangle, spread with butter and sugar, scattered with dried fruit and spice, then coiled into a tight log and cut into spirals. The pieces nestle in a tin and bake together, which keeps the centres soft and the edges sticky.
The dough takes milk, eggs, and butter, so it rises with a tender crumb and a gentle sheen. A ribbon of brown sugar dissolves during baking and mingles with cinnamon and citrus. Once out of the oven, a syrup glaze is brushed over the coils, giving that famous shine and a sweet finish.
Spiral buns invite variation. Some bakers choose currants for a traditional profile, others lean towards sultanas or mixed peel. A little grated zest lifts the aroma. The shape is important. Tight rolling gives defined swirls, snug spacing encourages soft sides, and a hot bake fixes caramel at the base.
Ingredients and Taste
Common ingredients include strong white flour, whole milk, unsalted butter, eggs, caster sugar, fast action yeast, and a pinch of fine salt. The filling usually brings softened butter, brown sugar, currants or sultanas, mixed spice or cinnamon, and finely grated orange or lemon zest.
Flavour lands in warm and fruit bright territory. The crumb is soft, lightly sweet, and scented with butter. Currants add gentle tang, spice brings comfort, and the glaze adds a clear shine with a slight crackle once set. Eat it warm for a melting centre, or cool for a neater slice.
Little tweaks make it your own. Swap part of the fruit for chopped dried apricots for a honeyed lift. Toasted nuts bring extra crunch, while a splash of strong tea plumps the fruit before rolling. If you like richer buns, whisk icing sugar with citrus juice and brush on while warm.
A Taste of History
The bun takes its name from the Chelsea Bun House, once a star of eighteenth-century London. Crowds queued for hot buns, and stories link royal visitors to its doors. Accounts describe a closely guarded recipe, sweet and spiced, sold especially at Easter, though the shop welcomed trade all year.
When the Bun House closed in the nineteenth century, other bakeries carried the tradition onward. Railway travel widened its audience, and home cooks adapted versions for family tables. By the time domestic ovens became common, the recipe had settled into the familiar spiral with sticky glaze and bright fruit.
Today the bun reads as friendly heritage rather than fussy ritual. It suits spring fairs, school cake stalls, and quiet kitchen bakes on cold days. The method rewards patience, yet nothing feels tricky. A bowl, a warm place for proving, a steady bake, and a glossy finish are enough.
How to Make Chelsea Buns (Sticky Spiced Buns)
Chelsea Buns are a treasured treat from eighteenth century London, known for their spirals of buttery dough filled with dried fruit and warm spices. Baking them fills the kitchen with a sweet, comforting aroma, and their glossy glaze adds irresistible charm. Expect soft layers, sticky centres, and a golden crust worth savouring. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 250 g strong white bread flour
- 25 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp fast action dried yeast
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 150 ml warm milk
- 25 g unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 medium egg (lightly beaten)
For the Filling
- 25 g unsalted butter (melted, for brushing)
- 40 g light brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp mixed spice
- 75 g currants (or raisins)
- 40 g mixed peel (optional but traditional)
For the Glaze
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 tbsp apricot jam (warmed and sieved)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Dough Base
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt, keeping the salt and yeast on opposite sides. Make a well in the middle and add the warm milk, softened butter, and beaten egg. Mix until it comes together into a soft dough.
Step 2: Knead the Dough
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. A well kneaded dough should spring back when pressed. Place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and leave to rise for 1 to 1½ hours until doubled in size.
Step 3: Roll Out the Dough
Once risen, gently punch down the dough to release the air. Roll it out into a rectangle about 20 x 30 cm on a floured surface, keeping the edges neat for even spirals.
Step 4: Add the Filling
Brush the surface with melted butter, then sprinkle evenly with brown sugar, cinnamon, mixed spice, currants, and mixed peel. Leave a small border around the edges for clean rolling.
Step 5: Shape the Buns
Starting with the long edge, roll the dough tightly into a log. Slice into 9 even pieces using a sharp knife. Arrange them close together in a greased baking tin (20 cm square works well) so they rise into one another.
Step 6: Second Prove
Cover the tin loosely with cling film or a clean towel. Leave the buns to prove for 30 to 40 minutes until puffed and touching each other. This step ensures a soft, pillowy bake.
Step 7: Bake the Buns
Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan or Gas Mark 5). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and baked through. If the tops brown too quickly, cover with foil for the last few minutes.
Step 8: Make the Glaze
While the buns bake, gently heat the milk and sugar until dissolved, then stir in the apricot jam. This mixture gives the buns their signature sticky shine.
Step 9: Glaze the Buns
Remove the buns from the oven and brush generously with the warm glaze while still hot. Allow them to cool slightly in the tin before serving.
Step 10: Serve and Enjoy
Pull apart the buns while warm, allowing the sticky filling to reveal itself. Serve with tea or coffee. For presentation, a light dusting of icing sugar can add a finishing touch.
Variations and Substitutions
- Fruit: Replace currants with sultanas, raisins, or chopped dried apricots.
- Spices: If mixed spice is unavailable, use a blend of nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.
- Glaze: Honey can substitute for apricot jam if preferred.
- Flour: Plain flour with ½ tsp baking powder added can be used if bread flour is not accessible, though texture will be slightly less chewy.
Cooking Tips for Perfect Chelsea Buns
- Ensure the milk is warm, not hot, or it may kill the yeast.
- A tight roll gives defined spirals, while a looser roll yields softer layers.
- Use a sharp serrated knife when cutting the dough to avoid squashing the rolls.
- Placing buns close together encourages them to rise upward rather than spread outward, giving the traditional pull apart look.
- For extra richness, soak dried fruit in warm tea before using.
Chelsea Bun (Sticky Spiced Bun)
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 250 g strong white bread flour
- 25 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp fast action dried yeast
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 150 ml warm milk
- 25 g unsalted butter softened
- 1 medium egg lightly beaten
For the Filling
- 25 g unsalted butter melted, for brushing
- 40 g light brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp mixed spice
- 75 g currants or raisins
- 40 g mixed peel optional but traditional
For the Glaze
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 tbsp apricot jam warmed and sieved
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt, keeping the salt and yeast on opposite sides. Make a well in the middle and add the warm milk, softened butter, and beaten egg. Mix until it comes together into a soft dough.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. A well kneaded dough should spring back when pressed. Place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and leave to rise for 1 to 1½ hours until doubled in size.
- Once risen, gently punch down the dough to release the air. Roll it out into a rectangle about 20 x 30 cm on a floured surface, keeping the edges neat for even spirals.
- Brush the surface with melted butter, then sprinkle evenly with brown sugar, cinnamon, mixed spice, currants, and mixed peel. Leave a small border around the edges for clean rolling.
- Starting with the long edge, roll the dough tightly into a log. Slice into 9 even pieces using a sharp knife. Arrange them close together in a greased baking tin (20 cm square works well) so they rise into one another.
- Cover the tin loosely with cling film or a clean towel. Leave the buns to prove for 30 to 40 minutes until puffed and touching each other. This step ensures a soft, pillowy bake.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan or Gas Mark 5). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and baked through. If the tops brown too quickly, cover with foil for the last few minutes.
- While the buns bake, gently heat the milk and sugar until dissolved, then stir in the apricot jam. This mixture gives the buns their signature sticky shine.
- Remove the buns from the oven and brush generously with the warm glaze while still hot. Allow them to cool slightly in the tin before serving.
- Pull apart the buns while warm, allowing the sticky filling to reveal itself. Serve with tea or coffee. For presentation, a light dusting of icing sugar can add a finishing touch.
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