Penny Bun
Boletus edulis · Boletaceae
Also called Cep, Porcini, King Bolete
The most sought-after wild mushroom in Britain: nutty, firm and richly scented, with a pale bun-like cap and a fat netted stem.
Edible. No deadly lookalikes in Britain, but always check that the pores are white to olive and never red or orange.
Read the full foraging safety guidance.
Season
July to November
Where it grows
- Broadleaf woodland
- Conifer woodland
- Woodland edges
Identification
- Cap
- 6-25cm, pale to chestnut brown, smooth and slightly greasy when damp, often with a fine white rim when young.
- Gills / pores
- No gills. Underside is a sponge of tiny tubes, white when young, turning yellow then olive with age.
- Stem
- Very stout and barrel-shaped, cream to pale brown, with a fine white raised net over the upper half.
- Flesh
- White, firm, unchanging when cut.
- Spore print
- Olive brown.
- Smell & taste
- Pleasantly nutty and mushroomy; taste mild.
Lookalikes
Bitter Bolete (Tylopilus felleus) has a dark net on the stem and pinkish pores, and is unbearably bitter. Devils Bolete has red pores.
In the kitchen
Superb fresh in butter, and the best of all mushrooms for drying. Slice thinly and check for maggots before cooking.
Recipes using Penny Bun
Wild Mushrooms on Toast
The honest test of any wild mushroom. Butter, a hot pan, good bread and nothing to hide behind.
Cep and Thyme Risotto
Dried ceps do most of the work here. The soaking liquid is the real ingredient.
Wild Mushroom Powder
The best way to use a glut, and the most useful jar in the kitchen.
Also edible
Chanterelle
Cantharellus cibarius
Egg-yolk yellow, trumpet-shaped and smelling faintly of apricots. One of the safest and finest edibles once learned.
Field Mushroom
Agaricus campestris
The classic mushroom of unimproved pasture: white cap, pink gills darkening to brown, and a clean mushroomy smell.
Horse Mushroom
Agaricus arvensis
A large relative of the field mushroom, smelling of aniseed and bruising slowly yellow in a harmless way.