Name: Homemade Chelsea Buns
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 135 min
Ingredients: 3 3/4 cups bread flour; 1 packet active dry yeast ((2 1/2 teaspoons)); 1 1/4 cup whole milk; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 egg; baking spray; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted); 1 orange (zested); 1/3 cup packed brown sugar; 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 2/3 cup dried cranberries; 2/3 cup chopped dried apricots; 2/3 cup raisins; 1 tablespoon apricot jam; 1 cup confectioners' sugar; 1 orange (zested); 2-3 tablespoons whole milk

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These Chelsea Buns are soft and fluffy rolls filled with dried fruit and topped with a sweet citrus glaze. Serve them up at breakfast or brunch for the perfect sweet treat.

TABLE OF CONTENTS hide

1 Chelsea Buns:

2 … what are Chelsea Buns?

3 What is the Difference Between Chelsea Buns and Cinnamon Rolls?

4 How to Make Chelsea Buns:

5 Chelsea Buns Recipe:

6 Homemade Chelsea Buns

Chelsea Buns:

Is anyone else obsessed with The Great British Baking Show on Netflix? I know I’m late to the party as it has been on for years now, but I just started watching over the past month and I can’t get enough. It’s such a sweet (pun intended) show and I want to try baking everything.

I was especially intrigued by the Chelsea Buns which seem to pop up quite frequently on the show.

LOOKING FOR MORE Breakfast Sweets? TRY THESE:

For my buns, I used Paul Hollywood’s Chelsea Buns recipe from the BBC. I made a few minor tweaks to the recipe and translated it from weight measurement to volume measurement.

Paul Hollywood seems to be an expert in bread, so I thought I would start with the best of the best. My goodness, am I glad I did because these Chelsea Buns were nothing short of amazing! They were fluffy, beautifully baked, and loaded with delicious flavors.

You might be wondering …

… what are Chelsea Buns?

A Chelsea Bun is a traditional British treat that is made from an enriched dough (made with eggs and butter) and contains dried fruit, brown sugar, and butter. Once baked, it’s topped with a sweet glaze. Chelsea Buns were created in the Chelsea area of West London by the Chelsea Bun House back in the 18th Century.

What is the Difference Between Chelsea Buns and Cinnamon Rolls?

It’s my understanding that the biggest differences between the two are the filling and the glaze/icing. As I mentioned above, Chelsea Buns are filled with dried fruit, brown sugar, and butter while cinnamon rolls are typically filled with cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter.

Also, cinnamon rolls are topped with a thicker icing (often containing cream cheese) while Chelsea buns have a much thinner glaze typically made with confectioners’ sugar.

And there you have it! You learn something new every day!

Ready to give these Chelsea Buns a try? Don’t be intimidated; you’ve got this.

Ready? Set. Bake!

Kitchen Tools I Recommend for This Recipe:

Whether you’re wondering what equipment you’ll need for this recipe, curious about my favorite utensils, or if you’re just looking to stock your own kitchen, these are the kitchen tools I recommend for this recipe:

Want more? You can find the list of My Ultimate Kitchen Essentials HERE.

How to Make Chelsea Buns:

Start by adding the flour, salt, and yeast to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. I’ve provided a full list of the ingredients and detailed recipe instructions in a printable recipe card below.

Add the milk and butter to a small saucepan. Heat on low until the butter is melted. Allow this mixture to cool to about 110-120 degrees F, then pour into the flour mixture. Add the egg and stir until it comes together as a soft dough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes. Place the dough into a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to rise for one hour or until doubled in size.

Once doubled in size, place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it into a 12×8 inch rectangle.

Brush the surface with the melted butter, then sprinkle with the orange zest and cinnamon followed by the cranberries, apricots, and raisins.

Starting with the longer side of the dough, roll up the dough tightly.

If needed, trim off the uneven ends, then cut into 10 rolls.

Spray a large (9 x 13 or equivalent) baking pan with baking spray. Place the buns into the pan cut side up leaving space between each to allow them to rise.

Cover loosely with a piece of plastic wrap or towel and leave in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the risen buns in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and baked through. If the buns are getting too brown, cover with foil.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Melt the apricot jam in the microwave with just a splash of water, then brush it onto the top of the warm buns. Allow the buns to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the icing sugar, orange zest, and enough milk to make a glaze. Drizzle the icing over the cooled buns and serve.

While you can certainly make these Chelsea Buns any time of the year, I think the flavors of orange, cinnamon, and cranberries lend themselves really well to the holidays. If you’re looking for a sweet treat you can make from scratch, I highly recommend these Chelsea Buns.

Also, feel free to have fun with the fillings and glaze. I’m hoping to try another version of these with a different flavor combination before Christmas arrives, so stay tuned for that.

Until then, happy British baking!

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Chelsea Buns Recipe: