When I first wrote this I lived in a little city in England called Bath, Bath is a famous Roman city and is the only city that is a world heritage site. Sally Lunn came to Bath over three hundred years ago in 1680 and started to bake her world famous buns. The shop still stands it is the oldest* house in bath and the site has a history that can be traced back to Roman times. For more details visit the Sally lunns website.
I have tried the authentic Sally Lunns buns and although mine are very nice I can never get mine to taste the exactly the same, but this is the nearest to it. I think you have to visit Bath to get the real taste.
Ingredients
12oz of plain flour (340g)
half a teaspoon of salt
half an ounce of yeast (14g)
1 teaspoon of sugar
three quarters of a pint of milk (360ml)
2oz melted butter (56g)
1 egg
Method – Procedure
Warm the flour and salt by rubbing it in your hands. I use dried yeast so at this point I leave it in some hot water for 20 mins until it is frothy. the better need to be melted and the milk warmed so do this after about 5 mins.
Cream the yeast in with the sugar and add the warm milk. Stir in the flour with the melted butter and beaten egg.
Kneed it for about 10mins and divide the dough in half. Shape the two pieces and put them into two greased cake tins 6 inches in diameter. Leave to prove wait until they are doubled in size, I normally wait about two hours.
Bake in hot oven 230 c, 450 F gas mark 8.Cook for about 30 mins or until golden brown.
*Or is it the oldest house in Bath and did Sally Lunn really exist? I have been emailed by a few people about this article and apparently there was never a Sally Lunn the name and back story has been made up in order to sell more buns. The house is apparently not even the oldest in Bath. Who would have thought such controversy happened in the world of bun retail.