Bake: Awesome Chelsea Buns!

You can't beat a Chelsea bun for a lovely comforting treat! I had no idea how easy they were to make either until I tried this recipe from "Good Housekeeping" New Step-by-step Cook Book (Good Housekeeping Cookery Club) (the New referring to 1995 when we received it as a wedding present from my favourite Psychology teacher (I was practically a child bride!)). To demonstrate how easy it was, I actually made the dough in my half hour lunch break when I was working from home one day, left the dough to rise for a few hours and then went onto the next step after I had finished work!

Please don't be put off by the number of steps - it really is an easy recipe!

Ingredients

7g sachet of fast action dried yeast

200ml milk

450g strong white flour

1 tsp salt

125g butter

50g caster sugar

1 egg

1 tsp ground mixed spice

100g sultanas, or a mix of sultanas and currants

Glaze Ingredients

50g caster sugar

75ml water

Method

1. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl and add the fast action yeast.
2. Rub in half the quantity of butter and stir in half of the sugar.
3. Make a well in the centre and stir the egg into the milk, and then pour into the well. Mix with a knife.
4. Flour your work surface and knead the dough for 5 minutes.
5. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm and put it on a warm windowsill for 1 to 2 hours until it has doubled in size. I actually left mine for 2 1/2 hours while I finished work and it was fine.
6. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead gently until smooth. Roll out until you have a rough 30cm square.
7. Cream the remaining butter with half of the remaining sugar and spread over your square - leaving a border.
8. Fold the dough in half and roll out into another 30cm square. I have to say that the buttery mixture did go everywhere at this point. 
9. Sprinkle on your sultanas/currants, the spice (add more if you like it spicy) and sugar, again leaving the edges free.
10. Roll up like a swiss roll and cut 12 slices. I know you are going to think you will never get 12 out of that, but you will!
11. Grease a 23 x 28cm baking tin and place each slice (you may need to unsquish them a little) in so that they are nice and snug. Leave covered for 15 minutes to rise again. Use this time to preheat your oven to 200C.
12. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
13. The sugar glaze is made by boiling up the sugar and water together until the sugar dissolves and the liquid is syrupy (will take 3-4 minutes). Apply liberally to the tops of the buns.
14. Bun fight!

If you don't think you will manage all 12 in one sitting (!) you can freeze them unglazed, according to Good Housekeeping, however, I like to through caution to the wind and have frozen some with the glaze on!

Love Mrs Jones x