What do you get if your pour boiling water down a rabbit hole...? It’s been a long lockdown! Easter is just around the corner, and we can almost smell freedom, or is that freshly baked Hot Cross Buns? A staple for Good Friday, and these little buns of joy give a slightly spiced lift to your day. The dough may seem a little wetter than normal bread dough, and it may need more time to rest and prove, but they are worth the wait, hang on in there.
Why not swap the sultanas for chocolate chips for a more indulgent bun, or any other dried fruit? Sour Cherries or cranberries would be delightful!
Ingredients
250ml Milk
50g Butter
525g Strong White Bread Flour
75g Caster Sugar
7g Dried Yeast
Zest of a Lemon, or Orange, or both!
1 Egg, beaten
1tsp Salt
2tsp Ground Mixed Spice
1tsp Ground Ginger
1/2tsp Ground Nutmeg
150g Sultanas (or raisins)
Crosses
40g Plain Flour
3tblsp Apricot Jam
Method
1. Put the milk and butter into a small pan and heat gently until the butter has melted. Set aside to cool a little. It needs to be warm, not hot
2. In a bowl, mix the bread flour with the rest of the main ingredients, except the sultanas, to combine. Slowly add half of the milk and butter mixture stirring as you go. Get your hands in and start bringing the dough together, adding the rest of the milk slowly to form a pliable dough. Please note you may not need every drop of milk
3. Turn the dough out onto your floured work surface and start to knead while you incorporate the sultanas. Keep kneading for a good 5-10 minutes until the dough is soft, elastic and smooth
4. Lightly oil the bowl and put the dough back in, cover with a tea towel and pop in a warm place to rest for an hour and a half or so, until doubled in size (it usually takes longer than bread)
5. Tip back out onto the work surface and work gently into 9 equal pieces that you can shape into smooth, round bun shapes. Place on a lined baking tray with enough room to rise but close enough to meet as they do
6. Slip the tray into a carrier bag or cover lightly and pop back into the warm place for a further 40-60 minutes until risen and cosy together
7. Heat your oven to 190 / 200 degrees. You know your own ovens and mine runs hot, so adjust accordingly…
8. Mix the plain flour with enough water (a tsp at a time) to form a thick paste, that you will be able to pipe with, and spoon into a piping bag
9. When your buns are risen and ready for the oven, carefully pipe the crosses. Its easiest to go in straight lines over all the buns in a row first, then across the other direction to form the crosses
10. Bake in the oven 15 minutes until golden and delicious looking. While they bake, gently heat the apricot jam in a small pan to loosen
11. As you take your buns out of the oven, brush with the jam
12. Slice open, smother with butter and enjoy!
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