Bath Buns

Name: Bath Buns
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Yield: 12 buns
Ingredients: 150 g plain flour; 1 teaspoon superfine sugar (caster sugar); 2 teaspoons dried yeast (or 1/2 oz fresh yeast); 150 ml milk, hand hot (110-125F); 150 ml water, hand hot (110-125F); 300 g plain flour; 50 g butter, diced; 2 eggs, beaten; 75 g superfine sugar (caster sugar); 175 g sultanas (or raisins); 50 g cut mixed peel; 1 egg; 1 teaspoon superfine sugar (caster sugar); 1 tablespoon water; 40 g lumps of sugar or 40 g sugar cubes, crushed coarsely

Submitted by Heather Sullivan

"Got this from Helen's British Cooking Site and they're very yummy and filling! The crushed sugar gives it a nice crunch and the egg glaze gives these buns a deep brown color."

Download

photo by Heather Sullivan

Ready In:: 2hrs 15mins
Ingredients:: 15
Yields:: 12 buns

ingredients

Batter
150 g plain flour
1 teaspoon superfine sugar (caster sugar)
2 teaspoons dried yeast (or 1/2 oz fresh yeast)
150 ml milk, hand hot (110-125F)
150 ml water, hand hot (110-125F)
Dough
300 g plain flour
50 g butter, diced
2 eggs, beaten
75 g superfine sugar (caster sugar)
175 g sultanas (or raisins)
50 g cut mixed peel
Egg Glaze
1 egg
1 teaspoon superfine sugar (caster sugar)
1 tablespoon water
40 g lumps of sugar or 40 g sugar cubes, crushed coarsely

directions

Place the batter ingredients (flour, sugar, yeast, warm milk and water) in a large bowl and beat with a wooden spoon, or on low in a mixer.
Leave in a warm place until frothy for about 20 minutes.
If you use Fast Action, bread maker, or quick yeast, omit the "leave until frothy" step.
For the dough, place the flour in a bowl and rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add the flour and butter mixture, eggs, sugar, sultanas and mixed peel to the batter.
Beat well for about 10 minutes (this is a lot easier with an standing mixer!) Cover (with plastic wrap or a clean damp tea towel) and leave to rise for 1 1/2 hours or until dough has doubled.
Pre-heat oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas mark 7 and lightly butter or grease 2 baking sheets.
Beat the dough well for a few minutes, place large tablespoonfuls/globs of dough on the baking sheets (6 per sheet).
Cover (if you use plastic wrap, remember to oil it before hand!) and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes until doubled in size.
Place egg glaze ingredients in a bowl and beat until well combined.
Uncover buns and brush with egg glaze, then sprinkle with the crushed sugar lumps.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
Leave to cool on wire rack.
You can also replace the sultanas and mixed peel with 225g mixed dried fruit, as long as it contains some mixed peel.

Questions & Replies

Got a question? Share it with the community!

Reviews

These could be the "rollicking buns" from Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Sorcerer." Instantly popular with my family. Note that they take longer than 2 hours and 15 minutes to make: 20 minutes (first rise) +10 minutes (beating dough) +90 minutes (2nd rise) + 30 minutes (3rd rise) +15-20 minutes (bake time) +10 minutes (minimum preparation time between rising) is at least 3 hours! (Unless you use "fast action" yeast, which I wouldn't recommend.) Fussy, but worth it.

paulh
Yummm... these bring back memories of being in Bath. It was worth the time it took to make them and will definetly make again. Didn't change anything about the recipe, mine didn't rise as much as I would have liked but I put that down to my awful oven not the recipe. Thanks for bringing back a little bit of my youth.

Aussie mum 2_2