Paris Buns
Soft, sweet scone-like buns topped with crunchy sugar: a favourite of Northern Irish bakery counters.
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- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Makes
- 8 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Course
- Cake
- Cuisine
- Northern Irish
Despite the name, Paris buns are found in the bakeries of Northern Ireland and Scotland rather than France. They sit somewhere between a scone and a sponge: light, sweet and crowned with crunchy nibs of sugar.
They are quick to make and best eaten the same day, split and buttered with a cup of tea.
Ingredients
- 225 g self-raising flour
- 75 g cold butter, cubed
- 75 g caster sugar
- 50 g sultanas, optional
- 1 egg
- 75 ml milk, plus a little for brushing
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp nibbed or pearl sugar, or roughly crushed sugar cubes
Equipment
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Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / gas 6 and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- 2
Rub the butter into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs, then stir in the caster sugar and sultanas.
- 3
Beat the egg with the milk and vanilla, pour into the bowl and mix with a knife to a soft, sticky dough. Do not overmix.
- 4
Spoon into 8 rough mounds on the tray, leaving space between them. Brush with a little milk and sprinkle generously with the nibbed sugar.
- 5
Bake for 15–18 minutes, until risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack.
If it goes wrong
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Flat buns | Dough too wet or overmixed | Add the milk gradually and mix only until combined |
| Sugar topping melted away | Fine sugar used | Use nibbed or pearl sugar, or coarsely crushed sugar cubes |
Frequently asked questions
Why are they called Paris buns?
Nobody is quite sure. The name probably just suggested something fancy; the buns themselves are a Northern Irish and Scottish bakery tradition.
Where can I buy nibbed sugar?
Look for "pearl sugar" or "nibbed sugar" in baking aisles or online. Roughly crushed white sugar cubes work well instead.
How long do Paris buns keep?
They are best the day they are baked. Keep them in an airtight tin for up to 2 days, or freeze them for up to a month.
Guides for this recipe
Some of these guides contain shop links, which are affiliate links (disclosure).
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Card photos: Mince pies baked in a bun tray, Jeremy Keith via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped; Stacked cream-coloured ceramic mixing bowls, RLiverpool2021 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; Champ: mashed potato with chopped spring onions, in a pan, Glane23 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped; Slices of fifteens with marshmallows and cherries, rolled in coconut, Keithawilliamson via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; Golden, griddle-cooked potato bread farls, Gunk 78 via en.wikipedia.org (talk) Derivative work: Ubcule (talk) via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain. All credits: image credits.