These Chelsea Buns are a cottage country staple! A Muskoka style chelsea bun recipe, made in the style found in cottage country bakeries.
There are two kinds of chelsea buns. There’s the traditional British style, which are sweet rolls with a sticky glaze and studded with currants. I’m sure they’re very good, but these aren’t those kind of chelsea buns.
These are the kind of chelsea buns that you’ll find in small bakeries and Farmer’s Markets all over cottage country in the central Ontario regions of Muskoka, Haliburton and Kawartha Lakes (and probably beyond, but I can only speak with confidence about this area).
For some reason, they’re almost always made loaf shaped. I’m not sure why, but I suspect it may be for practical reasons as bakeries have a lot of loaf pans and loaf-sized plastic bags. You could make them round. Don’s Bakery in Bala does it that way. The only thing you really need is a pan with high sides. Your regular square or round cake pan just isn’t high enough to handle these. Cottage country style chelsea buns need to be high.
This recipe comes from a friend of my Mom. It’s makes one 9×5-inch loaf pan of 8 buns. The filling of brown sugar, cinnamon and butter is rolled inside the sweet dough, together with the raisins. On top is the same filling, mixed with a bit of water to make a sauce, and is sprinkled with maraschino cherries and pecans.
The best part of chelsea buns for me, is to eat them by unrolling them!
Cook’s Notes for Cottage-Country Chelsea Buns
If you prefer, you can bake this is a round baking pan or springform pan. If you go that route, be sure that the centre is cooked through. If necessary, loosely cover the top with aluminum foil, to prevent over-browning, and bake an extra few minutes, just to be sure.
Cottage Country Style Chelsea Buns
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour DIVIDED
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 1/4 tsp quick rise yeast (*see note below about using instant or active dry yeast)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup butter DIVIDED
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2/3 cup raisins
- Few pecan halves (6-8) 6-8
- Maraschino cherries halves (about 6 whole cherries, halved)
Instructions
- Combine 2 1/4 cups of the flour, the white sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. In a small saucepan, heat the water, milk and 2 Tbsp. of the butter until just hot to the touch. Stir into dry ingredients, then add egg. Mix in enough of the remaining flour to make it soft dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and remaining butter. (I just cut the butter into the sugar with a pastry blender. You could also mix it together in a food processor). Place 1/3 cup of brown sugar mixture into the bottom of a greased 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan. Add 2 Tbsp. water and stir together to make a sauce (may be a bit lumpy, but not to worry. The lumps are butter and that will melt). Place the halved cherries and pecans (good side dowon top of the sauce.
- Roll the dough into a 9 x 14-inch rectangle. Spread the remaining brown sugar/cinnamon mixture evenly on the dough, then sprinkle raisins on top. From the long side, roll up jelly roll style, trying not to pull or stretch the dough too much as you roll (aim for a gentle push This prevents the dough spirals from exploding upwards when they cook). Pinch the seam together and place on a cutting board, seam side down. Cut into 8 even slices (*I like to cut 1/2-inch off each end and then measure the remaining, divide by 8 and then pre-mark the dough lightly with the edge of the knife. You could wing it, but that never works out well for me well when I do that). Place the slices cut side up in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 40 minutes (for quick rise yeasor 60-70 minutes (for instant or active dry yeasor until the dough has doubled.
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Bake for about 35 minutes. Check at the 30 minute mark and cover loosely with foil if it is getting too brown on top. Remove from oven. Allow to rest for 5 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a cooling rack with a piece of parchment on top, to cool. To avoid a gummy dough, allow to cool almost completely before pulling off that first piece (I know it's hard to resist, but remember you can always warm it back up a bit with a few seconds in the microwave later).
- Number of servings (yield): 8 rolls/1 9x5-inch pan
- Note about yeast: I actually made these buns with instant yeast, so I know it works. Quick rise yeast is best suited for this recipe, as this is a single rise recipe. Both instant and active dry yeast work best with a double rise. That said, I only had instant yeast on hand, so that's what I used, without problem. The only thing I had to change is the second rise time. It is slower, so the dough will need to rise about 60-70 minutes, instead of the 40 minutes.
Donald Rea says
I fondly remember the buns from Don’s in Bala and would love to try this recipe but I am confused about the yeasts.
You seem to be referring to 3 different ones: quick rise, instant and active dry. I use a bread machine yeast. Can you tell me which one of the 3 it is?
And if I use it should I use a double rise for best results?
I thought I would use the dough cycle on my machine, remove the dough, rest it, roll it and make the final rise in the loaf pan.
Thank you
Jennifer says
Hi Donald, bread machine yeast is instant yeast so yes, a double rise would be good. Your plan sounds perfect! Enjoy :)
Paul Gerroir says
Hi Jennifer,
Back in the 60’s, early 70’s there was a bakery on Flint Ave. in Bancroft ON that made fabulous Chelsea buns that were often sold out within hours of the store opening. With that bakery long gone I have always wanted to make a Chelsea bun myself. Finding your recipe was just the incentive I needed.
We are not great fans of Maraschino cherries so I omitted them and rather than pecan halves I used pecan pieces and conservatively spread them over the brown sugar/cinnamon sauce in the bottom of the 9″x5″ pan. I used Sultana raisins but next time I’ll try the Thompson variety. The buns turned out great and were a big hit around here. Thanks.
Paul
January 1, 2019
Jennifer says
So glad you rediscovered them, Paul. They are still on regular offer in bakeries here in Muskoka :) Your version sounds lovely. Thanks!
Maggie says
Hi Paul, You are not alone. Long ago we had a cottage on Baptiste Lake and would make regular runs to Bancroft just for Chelsea Buns. We had to buy a few since we’d usually eat one on the way home. Nothing has come close and I’ve tried every bun out there. I can’t wait to try this recipe. Finding this recipe and your comment made my day.
Miranda says
Hello!
I, for the life of me, cannot find whole milk anywhere in my general area. Is there a suggested substitution for it?
Thank you,
Miranda
Jennifer says
Hi Miranda, I have a feeling you may be looking for the wrong thing. Whole milk is simply 3% (or sometimes 3.5%) milk, which you should be able to find in just about any grocery store. In the unlikely event that you can’t, you could substitute 2% milk. Hope that helps!