Chelsea Buns (English)

The Chelsea bun is a traditional British treat that is made from yeast dough topped with currants, brown sugar, and butter and then coiled into square- or round-shaped buns. After baking, they are coated in a sugar glaze. The buns date to the 18th century and were created in the Chelsea area of West London by the Chelsea Bun House (closed 1839), a favourite haunt of the British royal families. The sticky treats are sweet, buttery, and dense, similar to a cinnamon roll. Possibly inspired by that roll, some Chelsea bun recipes include cinnamon.

1 lb 2 oz strong white flour (500 g)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 (7 g) pkg fast-acting yeast
10 oz milk (300 mL)
1½ oz unsalted butter (40 g)
1 free-range egg
vegetable oil, for greasing

Filling:
1 oz unsalted butter, melted (25 g)
1 orange, freshly zested
2½ oz soft brown sugar (75 g)
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3½ oz dried cranberries (100 g)
3½ oz sultanas (100 g)
3½ oz dried apricots, chopped (100 g)

Assembly:
1-2 Tbsp. apricot jam
7 oz icing sugar, sifted (200 g)
1 orange, zest only, freshly grated

Place the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the yeast.

Warm the milk and butter in a small saucepan until the butter is melted and the mixture is lukewarm. Pour into the flour mixture, add the egg and stir thoroughly until the contents of the bowl come together as a soft dough.

Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead well for five minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Place the dough into an oiled bowl and leave to rise, covered with a damp tea towel, for one hour or until doubled in size.

Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll out dough into a rectangle about 12x8" (30x20 cm).

Brush all over with the melted butter. Evenly sprinkle the orange zest over the buttered surface, followed by the sugar, cinnamon and dried fruit.

Tack down the long side of the dough rectangle nearest to you by pressing it down onto the work surface with your thumb. Roll the opposite long side of the dough towards you quite tightly, until the roll is complete and tight. With a sharp knife cut into thick rounds - about 1¾" (4 cm).

Grease a deep roasting tin or baking tray thoroughly with butter.

Place the buns, cut side up, into the greased baking tray leaving about ½" (1 cm) of space between each one. You want them to be close enough so that when they rise further and then bake, they will bake with their sides touching. They can then be pulled apart and you get a lovely soft edge.

Leave to rise for about 30 minutes in a warm place.

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C/170°C fan, Gas Mark 5).

When the buns are ready, put them in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden-brown. Check after 15 minutes or so and cover the buns with foil if they are getting too brown.

Remove the buns from the oven and let them cool slightly before transferring them from the tin to a cooling rack.

Melt the jam in a small saucepan with a splash of water until smooth. Brush the jam over the buns to glaze and allow to cool.

Mix together the icing sugar, orange zest and 2 Tbsp. water. Drizzle the icing over the cooled buns and allow to set before serving.