Yorkshire Teacakes

Name: Yorkshire Teacakes
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Yorkshire
Ingredients: 500 g strong white bread flour; 7 g fast-action dried yeast; 50 g caster sugar; 1 tsp Fine sea salt; 1 tsp ground mixed spice; 50 g Unsalted butter; 300 ml Whole milk; 125 g sultanas; 40 g mixed candied peel

Soft, lightly spiced yeast buns packed with juicy dried fruit, baked golden and perfect for splitting, toasting, and spreading with butter.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· Yorkshire and the Humber

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 45 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 310 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

500 g strong white bread flour — plus extra for dusting
7 g fast-action dried yeast — 1 sachet
50 g caster sugar — plus 1 tbsp extra for glaze
1 tsp Fine sea salt
1 tsp ground mixed spice — warm British spice blend
50 g Unsalted butter — softened at room temperature
300 ml Whole milk — lukewarm, plus 2 tbsp extra for glaze
125 g sultanas — or currants
40 g mixed candied peel — finely chopped

Equipment

•Large mixing bowl
•Baking tray
•Greaseproof paper
•Pastry brush
•Wire cooling rack

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 310 kcal
fat: 6 g
carbs: 56 g
fibre: 3 g
protein: 8 g
calories: 310 kcal

Instructions

1
Combine the flour, yeast, caster sugar, salt, and mixed spice in a large mixing bowl.
2
Rub the softened butter into the dry flour mixture using your fingertips until fine crumbs form.
3
Pour in the lukewarm milk and stir to form a soft, pliable dough.
4
Tip the dough onto a lightly floured worktop and knead for ten minutes until smooth and stretchy.
5
Knead in the sultanas and mixed peel evenly throughout the dough.
6
Place the dough into a clean oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, and leave to rise for one hour.
7
Knock back (punch down to release trapped air) the risen dough, then divide it into eight equal portions.
8
Shape each portion into a flat round disc roughly one centimetre thick and transfer to lined baking trays.
9
Cover loosely with a clean tea towel and leave to prove (second rise) for thirty minutes until puffy.
10
Bake at 200°C (180°C fan) for fifteen minutes until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath.
11
Stir one tablespoon of sugar into two tablespoons of warm milk to make a glaze.
12
Brush the glaze over the hot buns immediately, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool.

Chef's tips

Flatten the dough portions firmly before the second rise so they bake into classic wide, flat teacakes rather than tall round buns. Brushing the sugary milk glaze over the crust whilst hot out of the oven gives them their signature glossy, sticky tops.

Ingredient substitutions

mixed candied peel → extra sultanas or finely grated orange zest
whole milk → unsweetened oat milk for a dairy-free version

Storage

Store in an airtight tin for up to three days, or freeze sliced for up to one month.

Reheating

Toast straight from the bread bin or freezer under a preheated medium grill until crisp and golden.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Adding fruit before the initial kneading, which tears the gluten strands.
•Leaving the buns too round, causing them to bake into high rolls instead of flat teacakes.
•Using milk that is too hot, which kills the yeast and stops the dough rising.

Serving suggestions

Split in half horizontally, toast under a hot grill, and spread generously with salted butter.Serve warm alongside a mug of strong Yorkshire tea.Top toasted teacakes with strawberry jam or a slice of mature Wensleydale cheese.