These shrovetide buns are jam buns that are a traditional Shrove or Fat Tuesday sweet treat. These are lovely light rolls, topped with jam and drizzled with a sweet glaze.

shrovetide buns on cooling rack
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What are Shrovetide Buns

Shrove Tuesday, also known as Shrovetide, Pancake Tuesday and Fat Tuesday is a traditional day for indulging before Lent and when it comes to indulging, it’s all about the sweet treats.

These shrovetide buns offer a lovely hit of sweetness, fruity jam and delicious, light rolls. They’re a bit like jelly donuts without the filling and frying fuss! They are also super easy to put together and enjoy.

Ingredients and substitutions

Jam – You can use any jam you like for these buns. I used apricot, raspberry and blueberry. For best results, use a thicker jam that will stay in place a little better.

Recipe tips!

  • Some of my shrove buns bubbled up under the jam as they baked. If this should happen to some of yours, fear not. Simply spoon some more jam on top right after you take them out of the oven to replenish any that got away.
  • It can be a little tricky to get the consistency of the icing sugar glaze just right. It needs to be loose enough to drip down the buns, but thick enough so that it doesn’t all flow right off the bun. Mine could probably have used a tad more icing sugar. I suggest trying yours with one bun and experimenting with it to get it the right thickness before moving on to the rest. I found a squirt bottle an easy way to put the glaze on and don’t be afraid to go back and add another layer.
  • I’d suggest that these jam buns would be a lovely treat any day of the year. You can skip the sweet glaze and just enjoy the buns with jam. Great if you have some jam you need to use up and lovely to have on hand for a morning treat.
Shrovetide Jam Buns

Making ahead, storing and freezing

These buns are best enjoyed on the day they are made. If you can’t eat them all, freeze them to enjoy later. They freeze beautifully.

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shrovetide buns on cooling rack

Get the Recipe: Shrovetide Buns

Traditionally enjoyed on Shrove Tuesday, Shrovetide Buns are sweet, jam-topped buns with a sweet glaze. A great treat for Shrove Tuesday or any day!
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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Rising Time:: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Yield: 12 buns

Ingredients

Dough:

  • 2 cups milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm (see instructions)
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons Active Dry or Instant yeast
  • 1 Tablespoon white granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, (a bit less if using fine salt)
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 3 cups all purpose flour, spooned and levelled

Topping:

  • 1 large egg, beaten, for brushing before baking
  • 12 Tablespoons jam, assorted, for topping
  • 1 Tablespoon Icing/confectioners' sugar, for dusting after baking

Glaze:

  • 1 cup icing/confectioners' sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons milk, plus bit more, as needed

Instructions
 

  • In a small saucepan or in a glass measure in the microwave, heat the milk until it simmers. Allow to cool to lukewarm (about 105F).
  • In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the lukewarm milk with the yeast and sugar. Allow to stand for 5 minutes. Add the salt, egg and butter and mix to combine. Add 2 cups of the flour and mix to combine. Begin adding more flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until you have a smooth, moist dough. Remove the dough to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled, about 45-60 minutes.
  • Remove dough to a floured surface, deflate and divide in to 12 equal pieces. Form each piece in to a ball and place on to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a towel and allow to rise until puffy, about 30 minutes more.
  • Preheat oven to 400F. (non-convection)
  • Using your thumb, make a deep indentation in the centre of each roll. Fill with jam of your choice. Brush dough with beaten egg.
  • Bake rolls in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until golden. If any jam has slipped out while they cooked, simply replace with a bit of fresh jam as soon as you take them out of the oven. Remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  • For the glaze, combine the icing sugar and milk and stir to combine. Add more milk as needed to created a glaze that’s thin enough to drip off a spoon. Spoon or use a squirt bottle to apply glaze in a ring around the edge of the jam, allowing it to drip down the sides of the bun. (If too much of the glaze drips right off the bun, thicken the glaze slightly before proceeding with the rest of the buns. Likewise, if the glaze doesn’t drip on it’s own, thin it with a bit more milk.) Allow glaze to set, before dusting with a bit of icing sugar to serve.
  • These buns are best enjoyed on the day they are made. If you can’t eat them all up, freeze them to enjoy later.

Notes

Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card, for more tips on making this recipe.
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Course: Snack
Author: Jennifer Maloney
Serving: 1bun, Calories: 163kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 3g, Cholesterol: 13mg, Sodium: 104mg, Potassium: 41mg, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 20IU, Calcium: 10mg, Iron: 1.5mg
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