Hot Cross Buns

I enjoy making several batches of these spicy delights every Easter. Yum, such lovely memories the smell brings back. In fact I even made these with my class today. Here is the recipe I use which I have tweaked a little over the years. It is very reliable and not too difficult. Of course I have a handy kenwood mixer with a dough hook for kneeding! You could pop it in a breadmaker on a dough cycle too. I have successfully made this recipe dairy free using soy/rice milk and olivani spread. Will try gluten free flour one day.

Dough

200 ml milk

100 ml boiling water

1 Tablespoon Surebake (yeast)

3½ cups (450 g) white flour

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1 Tablespoon butter

1 cup (100-150 g) dried fruit (sultanas and currants work well)

1 Tablespoon mixed spice

1 tsp each of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg

Put 200 ml cold milk into measuring jug, pour in 100 ml boiling water. Dissolve Surebake in lukewarm liquid and leave while preparing dry ingredients.

Into large bowl measure flour, sugar and salt; rub in butter; mix in dried fruit and spice. Pour yeast liquid into dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Knead dough for 10 minutes. Return to warmed and greased bowl (grease bowl with 1 teaspoon oil); turn over once to grease top, cover with a clean teatowel and leave in a warm place to rest for 15 minutes.

After rest period, cut dough into 16 pieces (approx 65g). Shape into bun shape. Leave in a warm place to allow buns to double in size (1/2 to 1 hour). When buns are nearly finished rising pipe a cross on each bun.

Cross mixture

2 Tablespoons cornflour

2 Tablespoons white flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

pinch salt

2 Tablespoons milk (approx.)

Mix together into a batter, adding a little more milk if necessary. Spoon mixture into corner of a plastic bag, snip off the corner to make a small hole. Squeeze mixture onto buns to make cross shape. 

Cook buns at 220˚C for 5 minutes, then reduce to 180˚C for a further 10 minutes.

Brush with 1 Tablespoon of brown sugar dissolved in 1 Tablespoon hot water to glaze. Alternatively use 2 Tablespoons apricot jam dissolved in 1½ Tablespoons hot water.