Bath Buns
 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 meagre meals given by her well-meaning but rather stingy Aunt Leigh Perrot. ("A Year in Bath, April.)
Bath Buns are probably this city's most famous gastronomic contribution. No one is sure of their origin, but they were mentioned as early as 1763. Another famous baker, Sally Lunn, lends her name to a similar type of tea bread. The Sally Lunn Bun is baked from a secret recipe, handed down through the generations. It is only available at Sally Lunn's Refreshment House, where she established her baking as a favourite of fashionable society in the 1680's. The actual building is the oldest house in Bath, dating from the fifteenth century. Today's visitors can still enjoy a scrumptious tea and a tour through their Kitchen Museum.
Bath Buns
'Mix together one quartern of flour and a pound of butter, five eggs and a cup full of yeast and set before the fire to rise. When effected, add quarter pound of sugar mauled fine in an earthern pottle and (add)an ounce of carraways mixed in. Add a little treacle. Make into little cakes the size of a pippen (sic) and place in an iron spider and cover with cloth, to rise. When effected, put on the iron top, cover same with hot ashes and coals and surround with same and bake. These cakes are good with tea. If they are to be sent to a fine gentleman's table, omit the carraways, split and butter and insert berries or fruit and pile same on top
From The Observer Guide to British Cookery by Jane Grigson
Bath Buns
| 1 1/2 cup lukewarm milk |
1/3 cup raisins |
| 1 package dry yeast |
3 tablespoons, chopped, candied orange peel |
| 1/3 cup butter or shortening |
2 cups sifted flour |
| 1 tablespoon sugar |
egg to brush |
| 1 teaspoon salt |
granulated sugar |
| 1 egg, beaten |
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 Dissolve yeast in milk.
Cream butter with sugar and salt. Add yeast.
Blend in egg, raisins and peel. Add flour gradually, beating well after each addition.
Let rise in warm place until double in bulk, about 1 ½ hours.
Shape into buns and put on greased sheet. Cover and let rise to double size.
Brush with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake in hot oven, 400 degress, 12-15 minutes.
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