Today’s contribution comes from Jean of The Delightful Repast, a freelance writer with a particular talent for all things culinary, celebratory, and well-mannered. With an English grandmother, a Southern grandmother, and a mother who mastered it all, Jean’s culinary instincts were practically inevitable. Her love of reading and cooking—often at the same time—feels entirely appropriate for a discussion of tea in Jane Austen’s era. She has kindly shared both her reflections and her recipe for the ever-comforting Sally Lunn bun.
It was, I confess, something of a shock to discover that the ritual of afternoon tea—so dear to modern enthusiasts—was not, in fact, part of Jane Austen’s daily routine. The idea still feels faintly unsettling. Tea itself, however, was firmly established. Having gained popularity at court in the 1660s, it had, by the Regency period, become a staple across all levels of society. Jane Austen and her family would almost certainly have enjoyed tea regularly, most likely at breakfast and again in the evening after dinner.
Of course, tea has always been wonderfully adaptable, slipping into any part of the day that requires comfort or pause. In my own household, tea appears no fewer than four times daily. My grandmother Elizabeth, hailing from the Lake District, took hers several times a day—including, on occasion, in the middle of the night. Her mother, Mary Ann, seemed perpetually in the act of putting the kettle on. And before her was Mary, a contemporary of Austen herself, though living at the opposite end of England.
What, then, might accompany such steady tea drinking? Among the likely candidates are Sally Lunn buns - light, buttery, and equally suited to sweet or savoury toppings. The famous versions in Bath are impressively large, often six inches across and several inches high. My own interpretation is rather more modest. While they can be made the size of a hamburger bun, I prefer a smaller version, baked neatly in a muffin tin. One suspects the Bath purists might raise an eyebrow - but they are no less delicious for it.
Sally Lunn Buns
(Makes 18 )
4 packed cups (20 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
4 large eggs
1 cup milk
In medium bowl (I use a 2-quart glass measure), whisk together flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In small saucepan, melt butter.
With electric mixer, beat the eggs until fluffy and pale lemon yellow, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. By hand with a dough whisk or wooden spoon, add the flour mixture to the egg mixture in three additions, alternating with the melted butter and beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Cover with lid or plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for at least 24 hours and up to three days.
About 2 1/4 hours before serving time, remove dough from refrigerator. Stir down the dough, just a few strokes, with a wooden spoon. With a 1/4-cup measure or scoop sprayed with cooking spray, scoop dough into well-greased or cooking-sprayed standard muffin tins. Lightly butter a sheet of plastic wrap and place, buttered side down, over the buns. Let rise until puffy but likely not doubled in volume, about 1 3/4 hours. During last 15 minutes, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Uncover buns. Bake at 375 degrees about 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer tins to wire racks and let cool for 5 minutes. Turn the buns out of the tins onto the racks and serve warm or continue to cool before storing.
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