by Sydney Klein

Created on: February 26, 2010

Hot Cross Buns

Traditionally eaten at Easter, hot cross buns are delicious spiced fruit buns.  They can be eaten on their own or cut in half and spread with butter.  If they start to get a bit hard they are still lovely toasted.

Makes 20

Dough Ingredients:

220ml milk – full fat or semi skimmed

65g butter

500g strong white bread flour

1tbsp caster sugar – heaped

7g powdered dried yeast

125g mixed dried fruit

1 large egg

Zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon

2 cloves

1.5tsp ground cinnamon

1/2tsp ground nutmeg

1/2tsp ground ginger

1 egg + 1tsp milk for wash

Cross Ingredients:

4tbsp plain white flour

3/4tbsp caster sugar

2.5tbsp water

Glaze Ingredients:

1.5tbsp caster sugar

1.5tbsp boiling water

Dough Method:

1 - Gently heat the milk, butter, orange and lemon zest and cloves in a saucepan until the butter has melted then remove from the heat and leave for at least 30 minutes for the flavours to infuse.

2 - Put the flour, sugar, yeast, dried fruit and spices in a bowl and mix well.

3 - Strain the milk through a sieve into a new bowl.

4 - Add the egg to the milk and beat well.

5 - Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and mix into a dough – you can add a few drops of water if it is too dry.

6 - Turn the dough onto a flour dusted surface and knead for at least 10 minutes until it is smooth.

7 - Put the dough in a clean bowl, cover it with cling film and leave to rise for at least 2 hours in a warm place.

Cross Method:

1 - Mix the flour, sugar and water together into a thick paste.

2 - Put into an icing bag with a 0.5cm nozel.

Glaze Method:

1 - Mix the sugar and boiling water together until the sugar has dissolved.

Bun Method:

1 - Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7.

2 - Knead the dough for another 5 minutes then divide into 20 pieces.

3 - Roll each piece into a ball the squash it slightly and put it on a lined baking sheet leaving about 3cm between each bun.

4 - Using a table knife, score a cross into the top of each bun.

5 - Cover with a damp tea towel and leave for 45 minutes to prove.

6 - Beat the egg and milk and brush the wash over each bun.

7 - Pipe the cross paste into the indentations on the buns.

8 - Bake for 15-20 minutes until brown.

9 - Put the buns on a wire rack then brush them with the sugar glaze while they are still hot.

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