Uploaded November 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The Chelsea bun is a great little sticky bun, soft and rich, packed full of fruit with a gentle warmth from the mixed spice. Easy to make by hand and really rewarding!
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My kitchen temp: 24c / 75f
Oven temperature:
Pre heat to 175c / 350f
Cooking time: 25 - 30 mins checking regularly (internal temperature above 93c)
Oven setup: Bake mode with top and bottom heating elements but no fan
Bake on shelf positioned third of the way up the oven
Cooking tin: 22m x 32cm (8 x 12 inches)
Recipe:
Please note: I have listed the conversions to volume but remember that it isn’t as accurate as weighing in grams and your results may vary.
Mixed spice:
Makes a small spice jar
8cm piece of cinnamon
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp all spice (whole)
1 tbsp caraway
2 tsp grated nutmeg
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cloves (whole)
4 mace blades
Blend everything together in a spice grinder. Or, for the more adventurous, use a pestle and mortar
Honey glaze:
75g honey - 4 tbsp
25g boiling water - 1.5 tbsp water
Mix the honey and water
Icing
150g icing sugar - 1 1/4 cusps
6-7 Tbsp room temperature water, add gradually
Spice butter:
100g softened butter
2 heaped tsp mixed spice (from above recipe or shop bought)
Whisk together
Chelsea buns:
150g butter milk - 0.6 cups
150g milk 3.5% fat - 0.6 cups
60g sugar - 5 tbsps
10g sea salt - a really good pinch!
Gently heat and dissolve the sugar and the salt in the milk mixture
500g flour (my protein content was 12%) / - 4.2 cups
8g yeast - 1 tsp (16g of fresh yeast)
50g butter @ room temp (plus another 50g melted for brushing later on) - 1/4 cup + 1/4 cup
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 heaped tsp of mixed spice (from above recipe or shop bought)
200g mixed fruit
Golden brown crystallised sugar (I used 75g but you can adjust to taste)
1/4 orange zest
1/4 lemon zest
Make sure your wet mixture is only warm to the touch. Add the vanilla essence and then add the wet mix to a large mixing bowl. Lightly beat the egg and add to the bowl.
Mix the dried yeast (or crumble fresh yeast) into the flour. Add in the mixed spice and mix together with the flour.
Add this to the wet ingredients and combine. Cover and leave for 30 mins at room temp.
Fold and squeeze in the 50g of room temp butter. Knead for about five minutes. Bring into a ball and cover and allow to proof until doubled in size. Mine took 2 hours but your time may vary depending on your environment.
Flour the counter top and turn out the dough. Roll out to 35cm high x 50cm wide (14” x 20”) rectangle
Spread evenly with the butter mixture leave a 2cm gap at the top to seal. Zest over the lemon and the orange. Sprinkle over the sugar and mixed fruit.
Roll the dough up into a sausage and seal the end with water. Brush the sausage with melted butter and cut into 12 evenly sized pieces. Place up them with the coil facing up into a lined baking tray and leave to proof covered at room temperature until puffed up and touching each other. Mine took 2.5 hours.
Bake as directed above. Finish by brushing with honey glaze and dribbling on the icing.
Enjoy!
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The Chelsea bun is a great little sticky bun, soft and rich, packed full of fruit with a gentle warmth from the mixed spice. Easy to make by hand and really rewarding!
Join the email community:
https://www.culinaryexploration.eu/community
Follow my recipe testing for the videos on Instagram: Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/culinary_exploration
-------------------------------------------------------------
If you find the recipe useful please subscribe to support the channel - Subscribe: youtube.com/channel/UCezJ2OMlEwVJ5tMitCYL6DQ?sub_confirmation=1
My kitchen temp: 24c / 75f
Oven temperature:
Pre heat to 175c / 350f
Cooking time: 25 - 30 mins checking regularly (internal temperature above 93c)
Oven setup: Bake mode with top and bottom heating elements but no fan
Bake on shelf positioned third of the way up the oven
Cooking tin: 22m x 32cm (8 x 12 inches)
Recipe:
Please note: I have listed the conversions to volume but remember that it isn’t as accurate as weighing in grams and your results may vary.
Mixed spice:
Makes a small spice jar
8cm piece of cinnamon
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp all spice (whole)
1 tbsp caraway
2 tsp grated nutmeg
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cloves (whole)
4 mace blades
Blend everything together in a spice grinder. Or, for the more adventurous, use a pestle and mortar
Honey glaze:
75g honey - 4 tbsp
25g boiling water - 1.5 tbsp water
Mix the honey and water
Icing
150g icing sugar - 1 1/4 cusps
6-7 Tbsp room temperature water, add gradually
Spice butter:
100g softened butter
2 heaped tsp mixed spice (from above recipe or shop bought)
Whisk together
Chelsea buns:
150g butter milk - 0.6 cups
150g milk 3.5% fat - 0.6 cups
60g sugar - 5 tbsps
10g sea salt - a really good pinch!
Gently heat and dissolve the sugar and the salt in the milk mixture
500g flour (my protein content was 12%) / - 4.2 cups
8g yeast - 1 tsp (16g of fresh yeast)
50g butter @ room temp (plus another 50g melted for brushing later on) - 1/4 cup + 1/4 cup
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 heaped tsp of mixed spice (from above recipe or shop bought)
200g mixed fruit
Golden brown crystallised sugar (I used 75g but you can adjust to taste)
1/4 orange zest
1/4 lemon zest
Make sure your wet mixture is only warm to the touch. Add the vanilla essence and then add the wet mix to a large mixing bowl. Lightly beat the egg and add to the bowl.
Mix the dried yeast (or crumble fresh yeast) into the flour. Add in the mixed spice and mix together with the flour.
Add this to the wet ingredients and combine. Cover and leave for 30 mins at room temp.
Fold and squeeze in the 50g of room temp butter. Knead for about five minutes. Bring into a ball and cover and allow to proof until doubled in size. Mine took 2 hours but your time may vary depending on your environment.
Flour the counter top and turn out the dough. Roll out to 35cm high x 50cm wide (14” x 20”) rectangle
Spread evenly with the butter mixture leave a 2cm gap at the top to seal. Zest over the lemon and the orange. Sprinkle over the sugar and mixed fruit.
Roll the dough up into a sausage and seal the end with water. Brush the sausage with melted butter and cut into 12 evenly sized pieces. Place up them with the coil facing up into a lined baking tray and leave to proof covered at room temperature until puffed up and touching each other. Mine took 2.5 hours.
Bake as directed above. Finish by brushing with honey glaze and dribbling on the icing.
Enjoy!
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