London Buns

Another pre war Be-Ro recipe from their baking booklet. This recipe is probably about a hundred years old and it is such a shame we do not bake these kind of buns any more these days. Simple traditional baking, these buns are scone like and great split and buttered. Yum. Best eaten within a day. Just as they cooled my husband ate 3 off the trot. Did you know that SR flour was invented in Bristol in 1845 by a man named Henry Jones who then patented it?

You will need a buttered baking sheet and pre heat your fan oven to 190C

8 oz Self Raising Flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 oz butter [marg in recipe]

2 oz sugar [I used caster]

1-2 oz  mixed peel, very very finely chopped [minute pieces]

1 large egg, beaten [hold back a dessert spoonful for brushing the tops]

2 tablespoonfuls milk

a few drops of lemon extract

Coarse sugar for sprinkling 

Mix the flour and salt in a small bowl and run in the fat. Add the sugar and very finely shredded peel. Add a few drops of the extract to the milk and egg and mix to a dough. Divide into 8 portions, forming into buns in well floured hands. Place on your buttered baking sheet and brush over the left over beaten egg. Sprinkle with coarse sugar and bake for 15 mins.

Mmmmm,  lovely eaten warm, simple baking from a bygone era. Made in minutes, I can just imagine them being made for Sunday tea time.

Note: Coarse sugar? Would there have been demerara a hundred years ago? Actually,  yes. So I am using that.