Sally Lunn Buns (Solange Luyon Buns or Solilemmes)
Sally Lunn Buns are classic enriched breads from Bath, England. They're buttery and not too sweet with a hint of citrus flavor and a delicate, soft, spongey crumb. Enjoy them sliced or halved (like a hamburger bun) on their own or with butter and jam.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Rising Time1 hourhr30 minutesmins
Total Time2 hourshrs15 minutesmins
Course: Afternoon Tea, Bread, Breakfast
Cuisine: British
Servings: 12servings (2 large buns or 12 to 18 small tea buns)
Add the milk to a saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat to about 180°F (82°C) but do not boil. Remove from the heat, add the butter and stir to dissolve and melt. Set the mixture aside to cool to lukewarm, about 100°F to 110°F (38°C to 43°C).
Meanwhile, to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment add the flour, sugar, and instant yeast and just stir to combine for about 30 seconds.
Add the lukewarm milk and butter mixture, the beaten eggs, orange zest, and salt and mix on medium speed (#4 on a Kitchenaid mixer) for about 6 minutes until smooth and elastic but still very wet and sticky. It will look like thick and stretchy cake batter.
Scrape the batter into a very large greased bowl, large enough for the dough to double in size. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it in a slightly warm, draft free spot until the dough is doubled in size, about 60 to 90 minutes.
After the dough has doubled in size, punch down the dough to deflate it. It may be very sticky so you may lightly oil your hands if needed as you work with it, or use a rubber spatula.
Either divide the dough between 2 greased round cake pans (6 inches / 15 cm in diameter) or divide into 12 to 18 cups in a greased standard muffin pan to make individual tea buns (divide up evenly between 2 muffin pans if making 18). With oiled fingers, you can lightly pat or smooth out the tops of the dough if they look too lumpy (depending on how you filled them).
Cover the pans loosely with greased plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft free place to proof in the pan for another 30 minutes for the cake pans or 10 to 15 minutes for the muffin pan, until the dough rises in a dome over the top of the pans.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake large buns for about 30 minutes, (tenting the top loosely with foil if needed if it browns too quickly), or about 12 to 15 minutes for the smaller tea buns in the muffin pan. The internal temperature with an instant read thermometer should be about 205°F (96°C) for either size of bun. The smaller buns will not brown as much as the larger ones because they bake so quickly.
Let the buns cool in the pans for about 5 minutes, then carefully remove from the pans and continue to cool on a wire rack.
Notes
Sally Lunn is a "batter bread," meaning it is very high hydration (more liquid than flour) yielding a very wet and soft dough or batter. For this reason, a paddle works better than a dough hook when mixing it. You must beat the batter for several minutes to develop the gluten, rather than traditionally kneading it.
These buns will stay fresh in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in foil at room temperature for about 3 to 4 days before they start to change their texture.
For accuracy when dividing the dough, you can weigh it (weigh the total and then just divide it by the number of pieces). I had about 940 grams of dough, and put 470 grams in a 6-inch round cake pan and about 78 grams into each of 6 cups in a standard muffin pan to make 1 large bun and 6 small tea buns. You could also make slightly smaller tea buns in muffin pans and weigh them at around 50 grams each to yield 18 total (or 9 for half the batter).
To serve, slice the large bun like a standard loaf of bread or halve the smaller tea buns (or the large one too if you prefer) like hamburger buns—at the equator. Toast the slices or halves or leave them untoasted. Enjoy as is or serve with butter and jam. You may also serve with savory toppings if you prefer.