Light Buns of Different Kinds

Instructions

1. Quite plain buns without butter. Very good light buns may be made entirely without butter, but they must be tolerably fresh when served.
2. Dilute very smoothly an ounce of sweet German yeast, or a large tablespoonful of quite solid and well washed English yeast, with a pint of warm new milk.
3. Mix this immediately with as much flour as it will convert into a rather thick batter, throw a double cloth over the pan, and place it where the warmth of the fire will search it, without heating it.
4. When it is well risen and bubbles appear on the top, add a little salt, some pounded sugar, and as much flour as will form it into a light dough.
5. Leave it to rise again. It will probably be too little firm for moulding with the fingers, and must be beaten up with a strong wooden spoon and put into cups or tin pans slightly buttered, to be baked.
6. Send the buns to a quick oven, and bake them until the entire surface is well browned.
7. Acton's own caution: she states frankly that she has no precise memorandum by her of this receipt, though she has had buns made by it very successfully in former years. She cannot exactly recall the proportion of flour used, but believes it was about two pounds; for this quantity half a pound of sugar would be sufficient.
8. Time: the batter will be a long time rising to the proper height - an hour and a half or two hours.
9. Currants, carraways, nutmeg, or mixed spices can always be added at discretion. It is usual to strew a few currants on the tops of the buns before they are baked.
10. To render them richer and firmer, it is merely necessary to diminish the proportion of milk, and to crumble up very small two or more ounces of butter in the flour which is added to the batter after it has risen. When again quite light, the dough may then be rolled into balls, and placed on flat tins some inches apart until they have spread to the proper shape. Confectioners generally wash the tops with milk, and sift a little sugar over them.