Bath bun

The Bath bun is a rich, sweet yeast dough shaped round that has a lump of sugar baked in the bottom and more crushed sugar sprinkled on top after baking. Variations in ingredients include candied fruit peel, currants or larger raisins or sultanas.

The Bath bun is possibly descended from the 18th century 'Bath cake'. References to Bath buns date from 1763, and they are still produced in the Bath area of England, although the only Bakery in Bath to produce them currently is Bath Bakery with shops in Chelsea Road, Weston High Street, Fox Hill, and Bradford-on-Avon. The original 18th century recipe used a brioche or rich egg and butter dough which was then covered with caraway seeds coated in several layers of sugar similar to French dragée. It is said to have been devised by Dr. William Oliver who was a doctor treating visitors who came to Bath for the spa waters. He later invented the Bath Oliver biscuit, when Bath buns proved to be too fattening for his patients with rheumatism.

It is not to be confused with the Sally Lunn bun which also comes from Bath.

See also

• Fruit bun
• Hot cross bun
• Sally Lunn bun

References

• Davidson, Alan, Oxford Companion to Food, Oxford University Press (1999). "Bun", p. 114. ISBN 0-19-211579-0.

External links

• Traditional bath bun recipe
• A bath bun recipe
• About the town of Bath
• Dr. Oliver

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