The best hot cross buns are homemade hot cross buns, because you can eat them straight from the oven with lashings of butter… and you can make them anytime of the year… well you can, that’s just the way it goes in my home! I like to give them as presents to friends in pretty brown paper bags, and often draw stars or faces or letters on the buns instead of the traditional cross.
These hot cross buns fill me with such delight. My Mum whips them up every Good Friday, and if they’ve all been consumed before Easter Sunday she then makes another batch first thing on Easter Sunday Morning before any of us have got up. Yes, she’s amazing and I love it. Thanks Mum!
Hot Cross Bun Recipe
2 Cups Plain Flour
2 Cups Bread Flour
1 Cup Warm Milk
1 1/2 Teaspoons Instant Yeast
1 Teaspoon Salt
3 Teaspoons Sugar
1 Egg
50g Butter cubed
150g mixture of Sultanas and Apricots
Zest of 1 Orange
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1 teaspoon Allspice
Crosses
50g White flour
7 Tablespoons of Water
Combine – flour, milk, yeast, salt and sugar in a bowl or in your mixer and fit the dough hook
Add – egg and butter and hand mix, or use your mixer, to a sticky dough (you may need a little more warm milk or a little more flour depending on consistency of your dough)
Add – fruit, zest and spices and kneed by hand (flour your bench) or use low on your mixer till dough is silky and smooth
Cover – dough and leave in a warm place to double in size. 1 hour-ish
Deflate – risen dough and divide into equal pieces and make them round
Pop – onto floured board cover with a clean tea towel and allow them to double in size.
Pre-heat – oven at 205 Degrees Centigrade
Make – Crosses
Combine – flour and water until smooth
Pop – into piping bag or a plastic bag zip bag and snip end to make a hole
Pop – risen buns onto a greased and floured tray and cross/draw/decorate each bun
Bake – 15/20 mins (bake till golden brown if you wish, but I often take out a little lighter if I’m going to toast later)
Eat – While piping hot! Or toast later and eat with your fair trade chocolate eggs!