Jane Austen's Favorite Bath Buns Recipe (2024)

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Elaine Lemm

Jane Austen's Favorite Bath Buns Recipe (1)

Elaine Lemm

Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.

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Updated on 12/28/22

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Jane Austen's Favorite Bath Buns Recipe (2)

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Proving: 2 hrs 45 mins

Total: 3 hrs 25 mins

Servings: 12 servings

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Bath Buns are a lovely sweet enriched yeast dough bun synonymous with the city of Bath in south-west England. Bath is also the city of Jane Austen, the world-famous author.

Jane Austen was only too familiar with Bath Buns. She often found it necessary to sneak them surreptitiously into her room to augment the rather meager meals given by her well-meaning but rather stingy Aunt Leigh Perrot, according to the Jane Austen Society.

Here she addresses her sister, Cassandra

"Your going I consider as indispensably necessary, and I shall not like being left behind; there is no place here or hereabouts that I shall want to be staying at, and though, to be sure, the keep of two will be more than of one, I will endeavour to make the difference less by disordering my stomach with Bath buns; and as to the troyle of accommodating us, whether there are one or two, it is much the same:"
Jane Austen to Cassandra, 1801.

This modern recipeuses caraway seeds and crumbled sugar to create a lighter version of the famous bun. Serve them warm, split and spread with salty butter and you will understand just why Jane loved them so much.

Ingredients

  • 115 grams (about 4-ounces) unsalted butter

  • 450 grams (about 1 pound) all-purpose flour

  • 7 grams (about 1 1/2 teaspoons) instant yeast

  • 1 pinch salt

  • 4 tablespoons superfine sugar

  • 230 milliliters (about 1 cup) lukewarm milk

  • 2 large eggs, preferably free range

  • 1 tablespoon caraway seeds

For the Glaze:

  • 1 tablespoon milk

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

For the Topping:

  • 3 white sugar cubes, crushed

  • 1 tablespoon caraway seeds

Steps to Make It

  1. In a large baking bowl, rub the butter into the flour. Once you have created a crumbly mixture, add the yeast on one side of the bowl, the salt and sugar on the opposite side (it is not good for the yeast to come into direct contact with the salt). Stir thoroughly.

  2. Add the milk to the lightly whisked eggs, andpour this into the bowl with the caraway seeds.

  3. Then, using either your hand or a wooden spoon, mix really well to create a sticky dough.

  4. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 6 to 8 minutes (you can do this part in a mixer with a dough hook if you have one).

  5. Put the dough to rise in alarge, covered bowl until doubled insize (about 2 hours).

  6. Once the dough has doubled, tip back onto the floured surface and flatten lightly into a round. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces, roll each into a ball and place onto a baking sheet covered with greaseproof paper or a nonstick mat.​

  7. Cover the tray with a damp tea towel and leave to rise again for 30 to 45 minutes.

  8. Preheat the oven to 350 F / 180 C / Gas 4.

  9. Generously brush the risen buns with the glaze, then bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes (depending on your oven). The buns should be golden brown plus light and hollow when tapped on the bottom.

  10. Remove from the oven and then place the buns onto a cooling rack. Paint on the milk and sugar coating while still warm and immediately sprinkle on the caraway seeds—you may want to gently press them into the glaze to prevent them from slipping off. Repeat with the sugar bits.

  11. These buns are lovely eaten warm, cut and spread with salty butter.

Our Best Brioche Bun Recipe

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
260Calories
10g Fat
37g Carbs
6g Protein

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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories260
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g12%
Saturated Fat 5g27%
Cholesterol 53mg18%
Sodium 35mg2%
Total Carbohydrate 37g14%
Dietary Fiber 2g6%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 0mg1%
Calcium 46mg4%
Iron 2mg12%
Potassium 104mg2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

  • buns
  • british
  • shower
  • bread

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Jane Austen's Favorite Bath Buns Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is a Sally Lunn bun the same as a bath bun? ›

So-called Bath Buns, on the other hand, are smaller and sweeter than Sally Lunn Buns, with a lump of sugar baked into the bottom, crushed sugar sprinkled over the top and, often, currants or raisins swirled throughout. Like many aspects of Bath's history, this bun, too, comes with a story.

What is the origin of bath buns? ›

The bun's creation is attributed to William Oliver in the 18th century. Oliver also created the Bath Oliver dry biscuit after the bun proved too fattening for his rheumatic patients. The bun may also have descended from the 18th-century "Bath cake". The buns are still produced in the Bath area of England.

How do you eat bath buns? ›

The bun is generally eaten with a knife and fork but there are no fixed rules. Most guests enjoy their bun with a huge smile on their face.

What is a Marlborough bun? ›

Small yeast-raised fruited buns, baked to form a cracked surface, sugar syrup and sugar crystal topping. Marlborough Bun.

Why is it called a Sally Lunn? ›

The story goes that Solange Luyon, a Huguenot refugee and baker, settled in the town in 1680 and began selling her breads, which quickly brought her both fame and a new Anglicized name, Sally Lunn.

How do you eat Sally Lunn bun? ›

The bun is generally eaten with a knife and fork but there are no fixed rules. Most guests enjoy their bun with a huge smile on their face. If for any reason your bun does not make you break into uncontrollable smiling then do please speak to a member of our team.

Was Sally Lunn a real person? ›

There is little historical evidence for Sally Lunn as a person. The Gentleman's Magazine of 1798 uses Sally Lunn as an example during a discussion of foods named after people—"a certain sort of hot rolls, now, or not long ago, in vogue at Bath, were gratefully and emphatically styled 'Sally Lunns'".

What is the meaning of bath bun? ›

noun. : a round bun made of sweet yeast dough containing eggs, butter, and currants and usually decorated with sugar, nuts, or pieces of candied fruit.

Why are buns called buns? ›

The English word bun is a derivation of the Greek word for ceremonial cakes and breads, boun. In the Middle Ages, home bakers marked their loaves with crosses before baking.

What do you eat with a Sally Lunn bun? ›

Serve warm Sally Lunn Buns with Whipped Orange Butter and orange marmalade or strawberry jam. The dough is very versatile; it can be made into large round loaf-like "Buns", Small Pan Buns, or Tea Buns (baked in muffin pans).

Do you eat bao buns by themselves? ›

One of the best things about bao, is that you can eat them at any time of day. In fact, they are most often eaten as a grab-and-go breakfast in China! Bao are most often eaten on their own.

Why are buns soggy? ›

Buns in a warm or humid environment can become soggy, stale and even mould.

What is a Tennessee bun? ›

Southern BBQ style rustic burger buns made with dough containing a dash of red malt. Each bun has an authentic wrinkled top which differentiates them from 'perfect' brioche style buns. The buns are topped with a mix of poppy and sesame seeds for extra bite and a nutty flavour.

What is a Chicago bun? ›

Chicago Style Hot Dog Buns are specific in that they need to be eaten in a poppyseed bun. These can be kind of hard to find outside of Chicago so I went ahead and figured out a way to doctor up a regular hot dog bun. Brush the buns with an egg wash.

What is a pub bun? ›

This bun is made with Spent Grain flour, a byproduct of beer brewing. We incorporate that blend of barley, wheat and rye to make a bun that has a traditional dense crumb texture with mild earthy and sour notes.

What is the difference between a Sally Lunn and Boston Bun? ›

A Boston bun, also known as a Sally Lunn, is a large spiced bun with a thick layer of coconut icing, prevalent in Australia and New Zealand. Traditionally the bun contains sieved mashed potato, and modern versions sometimes contain raisins or sultanas, the inclusion of which dates from the 1930s.

Is there such a thing as a Bath Bun? ›

Bath Buns

Sweet dough covered in sugar nibs and currants, with a whole sugar cube baked into the bottom. Dr. William Oliver arrived in Bath in the eighteenth century, brought decorum to the city's medical profession and invented the now legendary Bath Buns.

What type of bun is traditionally eaten at Easter? ›

Hot cross buns are traditionally eaten over the Easter religious Christian holiday to symbolise the crucifixion of Jesus on Good Friday on the cross.

References

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