The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Currant buns

Russellup's picture
Russellup

Currant buns

Has anyone else noticed that it is now quite rare in London  - and more widely in the South of England - to find currant buns for sale in bakeries?  Chelsea buns, Bath buns, Marlborough buns, tea cakes and the ubiquitous Hot cross buns are offered instead but Currant buns seem to have almost died out.  The last 3 bakers I tried, the staff HAD NOT HEARD OF A CURRANT BUN!   One southeast Asian assistant transmuted the classic to "Kuwanbung". It nearly broke my heart.  The other 2 young women in establishments shook their heads vaguely.What used to be a staple in British bakeries now seems to be becoming a rarity.

Its not glamorous, it doesn't keep but all the more reason why a currant bun makes the perfect morning bun to have with a cup of tea. 

I cant even seem to find many entries for currant buns on forums  (infact currant bun seems to occur most frequently in the early learning teaching profession (ironies). - perhaps its an early years publisher or something.)  But this has really upset me. 

I defy anyone to replicate the unique simplicity of a well risen currant bun cooked in a baker's large moist oven at home. 

Any support or information regarding Currant buns in production in west London gratefully received.

PaddyL's picture
PaddyL

And the recipe is around here somewhere. I'm in Montreal, but my Irish mother used to buy currant buns in a bakery here in the city; I loved them.

drogon's picture
drogon

I'm in Devon though, so it's a long way to go for a bun!

However they don't always sell that well - Chelseas tend to do better.... The closest you might get (which I know are not the same!) is teacakes, but these are generally baked a bit bigger/flatter to make for toasting.

Best learn & start baking yourself - they'll freeze well!

-Gordon

Russellup's picture
Russellup

hi Gordon, 

Thanks for getting back.... - much appreciated. You are not in Barnstaple I suppose (North Devon)... I know the East /West Bakery there does do currant buns... That's not you by any chance? (-:

R

drogon's picture
drogon

I'm on the south side of Dartmoor - off the A38 half way between Plymouth & Exeter - if you're ever down this way let me know and I'll bake some!

I don't do buns that often - usually as a "Saturday special" for one of the local shops I supply and then it's often chelseas, fruit/currant buns, and sometimes criossants. Wish I had more outlets, but ...

Maybe one day!

Cheers,

-Gordon

Reynard's picture
Reynard

Johannisbeeren are redcurrants. Schwarze Johannisbeeren are blackcurrants. Neither are the same as the currants in currant buns, which are actually dried grapes, so same family as sultanas and raisins. Currants have the seeds in them, the other two typically do not. The word currant derives from the origin of said dried grapes - Corinth.

HTH ;-)

Russellup's picture
Russellup

Thanks Gordon, Do you have a bakery name yourself that I can look out for,  or just supply other outlets?  

Best wishes with everything though and thanks again

 

Russellup

drogon's picture
drogon

Moorbakes - http://moorbakes.co.uk/

 

I like to think I run a bakery, however from an insurance point of view because I don't have a shop then it's a catering company - essentially supplying wholesale to local shops and private orders. Microbakery is the usual term for it though.

I don't have a regular outlet for currant buns - the closest shop gets their weekly "saturday specials" though. Yesterday I made them spiced honey & sultana sticky buns - a concoction of my own making... They get anything from simple buns to brioche & croissants depending on what I fancy making! Everything else is to order.

I make currant buns with a fairly simple sweet dough - flour/water+milk/yeast/salt/sugar/butter (or lard) and of-course currants. Nothing more than that - it's a fairly simple dough. (milk/sugar glaze too) I'm working on proper west country lardy cakes too... Being the first bakery delight I had when I moved out of Scotland some 26 years ago to (initially) Gloucestershire ...

-Gordon