Hot cross buns are traditional spiced sweet buns made with currants or raisins, marked with a cross on the top. Traditionally eaten on Good Friday they’re just as tasty at any time of year. Make the most of the long Easter weekend and fill the house with the smell of this ultimate Easter treat. Packed with flavour, they’re wonderful warm or toasted with lashings of butter.
Makes: 12 bread buns
What You’ll Need:
- 70g of butter
- 250ml of milk
- 500g flour
- 10g dried yeast (1 1/2 sachets)
- 70g of sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon gingerbread spice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- Zest of a lemon – use the Microplane® Premium Classic Zester
- Zest of an orange – use the Microplane® Premium Classic Zester
Filling
- 50 g raisins
- 60g mixed peel
- Alternative filling:
- 100g raisins
- or 100g cranberries, chopped
- Topping:
- Apple jelly
- 2-3 tablespoons flour and 2-3 tablespoons water
What To Do:
- Melt the butter and add milk. Let it cool until lukewarm.
- Put the flour, yeast, sugar, egg, spice, salt, vanilla paste and the lemon and orange zest in a mixing bowl. Add the butter-milk mixture and knead into a fine dough. Tip: It should break away from the bowl edge.
- Cover the dough for one hour.
- Finely chop the mixed peel and mix with the raisins.
- Knead the dough with the dried fruits and form 12 small balls (like bread rolls). Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper or place in a greased dish. Let them rest again for about 30-60 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 170C.
- For the topping: mix the flour and water into a paste. Put in a freezer bag. For piping, cut off a corner.
- Just before baking: place the “cross” onto the rolls by piping through the cut corner.
- Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes until golden.
- Heat apple jelly (or other light jam like apricot) and glaze the hot cross buns after baking.
- Cool before eating.
The Microplane® Premium Classic Zester, RRP £19.95, is available from hartsofstur.com and independent cookshops nationwide