Queuing for Buns

It is Good Friday, a day for somber reflection, although it’s hard to be sad when we know Easter is coming! Good Friday marked another day in Regency London. It was the day to buy hot cross buns at the Chelsea Bun House (mentioned in a post nearly 10 years ago now!).

The Chelsea Bun House was on Jew’s Row, on the way to Ranelagh Gardens, a popular public garden in the 18^th century. Four generations of the Hand family managed the eatery. For most of the year, the house sold Chelsea buns—what appear to be cinnamon rolls with raisins, currants, and white icing. According to The London Encyclopedia, a poem described these delicacies as

“Fragrant as honey and sweeter in taste

As flaky and white as if baked by the light

As the flesh of an infant, doughy and slight.”

(Okay—am I the only one who squirmed a little at the last line?)

While the exterior of the single-story building was fairly standard, the interior was eclectic, with clocks and curiosities from foreign locales sprinkled about. King George II, Queen Caroline, all the princesses, and George the III and Queen Charlotte were said to be customers.

On Good Friday, however, people lined up for cross buns hot from the oven, with sales beginning as early as four in the morning. Numbers vary, but one estimate put the crowds at 50,000. Some years, the ravening customers were so many in number the shop had to close its doors and hand buns out through the shutters. In 1839, the last year of the shop, nearly a quarter million buns were sold!

Sadly, the Hand family died out, and the shop was closed and its contents auctioned. But the name Chelsea bun is still used to this day.

Hungry for more information about the Chelsea Bun House? Try this great post on Jane Austen’s World blog. 

Whether you line up for buns or not, happy Easter!

One a Penny, Two a Penny

Hot cross buns! Do you remember the old nursery rhyme? Nineteenth century young ladies and lads would have heard versions of it shouted in the streets in the week leading up to Good Friday, the Friday before Easter. Yes, I know, technically that’s NEXT Friday, but I wanted to give you time to plan in case you wanted to cook up a batch.

Cross buns were generally round buns made of sweetened dough, spices like cinnamon and allspice, and currants. The cross on top was to remind people of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Today the cross is piped on with pastry or icing; then it was more often incised with a knife. Knowing the tradition of eating the little buns on Good Friday, bakers sent out armies of street vendors in the days preceding to hawk their wares, hence the song. You picked up a dozen or two and took them home to eat hot for breakfast. Yum!

Besides street vendors, one of the most popular places to buy hot cross buns until 1839 was the Old Chelsea Bun House outside London. Legend has it that both King George II and King George III patronized the place. Supposedly up to a quarter million buns were sold on Good Friday, with over 50,000 people served!

Of course, you could always make them yourself. Below is a traditional recipe for hot cross buns, simplified for today’s kitchen:

A Dozen Hot Cross Buns
4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp allspice
¼ cup butter (half a stick)
½ cup raisins (or currants if you have them)
1 oz yeast
½ cup sugar
1 cup warm milk

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Sift the flour, salt, and allspice into a large bowl. Cut in the butter. Add raisins. In a separate bowl, cream the yeast and sugar together and add warm milk. Leave for 10 minutes until the batter is sponge-like. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and combine to form a dough. Leave to rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled. Turn onto a floured surface and knead well then cut into twelve pieces. Flatten each piece into a circle and use a knife to mark each circle deeply with a cross. Allow the lot to rest again for 10 minutes, then bake on a cookie sheet in the hot oven for 20 minutes. Glaze with icing if desired.


And while you’re munching on these, don’t forget that the Young Bluestockings Book Club will be discussing Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer on April 23 right here on Nineteenteen! Get a copy and be ready to join us.

So, what’s on your menu for Easter?