It is believed that this classic English cinnamon roll was first featured at London’s Chelsea Bun House in the 18th century. These days in Britain, the bun is among the ten most popular bread choices in the United Kingdom served warn at tea time.

The Chelsea Bun House in Pimlico apparently did a roaring trade in these enriched dough buns for a century. Filled with fruit and covered in a honey glaze, they were reputedly a favourite of both George II and George III before the Bun House burned down in 1839.

Jane Eastoe, National Trust Book of Bread (p. 82).

However, most Americans will think of these overnight rolls as something to serve warm for breakfast. Either way, they are going to be a huge hit.

The dough is made with a rich egg-based dough that is usually flavored with lemon peel and either cinnamon or mixed spice, which is a British version of pumpkin pie spice. Before baking, the dough is slathered with a combination of butter, brown sugar, and currants. Then rolled up jelly-roll style, sliced into individual portions, and baked.

Between the filling and the icing, these are very sweet. But sourdough using a long ferment makes for a very delicious flavor companion, not to mention better health if any part of these decadent buns could be considered healthy. In Britain, these are served at tea-time, sliced, and slathered with even more butter, which might be even over the top for me.

This recipe is adapted from Jane Eastoe’s National Trust Book of Bread and The Clever Carrot’s Soft Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Real Sourdough Chelsea Buns (using a long ferment)

Serving Size:
9 rolls
Time:
Overnight
Difficulty:
Medium

Dough Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup /160 g milk
  • 2 Tbsp / 28 g melted butter
  • 1 large egg, well beaten
  • ½ cup / 113 g active sourdough starter
  • ¼ cup / 50 g soft brown sugar
  • 2½ cups / 300 g premium white whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp / 5 g fine sea salt
  • grated rind of 1 unwaxed lemon
  • cooking spray or oil, for coating

Filling Ingredients

  • ⅔ cup / 100 g mixed dried fruit, such as currants, sultanas, cranberries, and/or raisins
  • 2 Tbsp / 28 g  butter 
  • ½ cup / 100 g  granulated sugar
  • 3 tsp / 5 g ground cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp / 8 g flour

Glaze Ingredients

  • 1–2 Tbsp / 15–30 ml milk or water
  • 1–2 Tbsp /15–30 g
Traditionally, Chelsea buns are made in a square cake tin. You are aiming to produce a square bun with a round spiral, but a round tin will do just as well for this purpose and the end result will taste every bit as good. —Jane Eastoe, National Trust Book of Bread (p. 82).

Dough Directions

  1. Combine the melted butter and milk in a small bowl; then rub in the butter.  
  2. Add the egg, your sourdough starter, and the sugar. Mix to combine.
  3. Stir in the milk, (if using a mixer, do this while it is running).
  4. Then add the flour and the salt.
  5. Continue mixing until you get a rough, sticky dough. Emilie Raffa. Continuing she suggests, “Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes.”
  6. After the dough has rested, knead it until it feels soft, supple, and puls away from the sides of your bowl. If it’s still too sticky add a bit more flour.
  7. Emile Raffa suggests this optional step: “Stretch and Fold the Dough: about 30 minutes–1 hr. into the bulk rise stretch and fold the dough: grab a portion of the dough and stretch it upward. Fold it over toward the center of the bowl. Give the bowl a 1/4 turn; stretch and fold the dough again. Continue this technique until you’ve come full circle around the bowl (4 folds total). For video guidance, click here. This optional step will increase the overall volume of the rolls and aerate the dough.”
  8. For the bulk rise, cover with plastic wrap. Let rise overnight until doubled in size, (about 8–12 hours at 67-68°F / 20°C, depending on temperature).
  9. “When the dough is ready,” writes Eastoe, “turn it out onto a board and give it a gentle knead, then roll it out with a rolling pin until it is approximately 30 x 23cm (12 x 9in). You will have to work at this as the dough is very elastic and it will keep shrinking back. Brush the top with melted butter, then sprinkle the sugar, mixed dried fruit, and lemon rind over the surface. Just keep the fruit and sugar approximately 2–3cm (1in) away from one of the long edges. Roll up the dough into a tight sausage, pinching along the join to help keep it together. Then cut into 8–9 pieces. Pop these into the cake tin and arrange nicely, so that when they rise they will all squidge together. If you have any melted butter leftover, pour this over the top.”
  10. Continuing Eastoe, explains, “Pop this into a plastic bag and put on one side to rise until doubled in size—anything from 30–60 minutes.
  11. “Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F), gas mark 5, and cook the buns for about 25–30 minutes—keep an eye on them towards the end, as you don’t want them to burn.
  12. “While they are warm, brush them generously with a glaze. To make a sugar glaze, gently heat the sugar and water in a saucepan, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
  13. “You will be able to just rip the buns away from the whole bake.
  14. “If you want to be decadent make a little lemon icing and pipe a zig-zag pattern over the top for that extra dash of sweetness – delicious! …Alternatively, melt a little jam or honey to brush the tops, ” Eastoe concludes