Hot Cross Buns
simple hot cross buns recipe
Hot Cross Buns
Recipe Type: Cakes & Baking
Cuisine: British
Author: Caroline Artiss
Prep time: 1 hour 30 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Total time: 1 hour 50 mins
Serves: 16
Easter bank holiday weekend is the perfect time to cook something that takes a little extra time, but with plenty of reward. Treat your loved ones this weekend to some freshly baked Hot Cross Buns and it’s so much fun to make it together.
Ingredients
Dough
2 x 7 g sachets of fast action yeast
60g / ¼ cup caster sugar
375ml 1-½ cups warm milk
600g / 4 cups plain flour
1-heaped tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
80g butter
1 large egg
120g / ¾ cup mixed fruit soaked for 10 minutes in hot water
Extras:
To make them even fruitier you can add
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
White paste cross mix
½ cup / 75g plain flour
¼ cup / 40 ml water
3 tsp sugar
Instructions
Make the yeast mixture first
Simply add the warm milk, caster sugar and yeast into a bowl
Give it a stir and then cover with a cloth and leave somewhere warm for 10 minutes
The yeast will begin to go frothy
In a large bowl, sieve the flour and spices together
Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it has disappeared and turned into fine breadcrumbs
Next, make a well in the centre of the flour
Add the egg and zest, drained mixed fruit and yeast mixture
Bring all the ingredients together with your hands to make a big sticky ball
Cover with a damp cloth and leave somewhere warm for 45 minutes – 1 hour
It will double in size so make sure your bowl is big enough
Prepare a large baking try by lightly shaking a bit of flour on it
When your dough has risen and doubled in size, lightly flour a work surface to knead the dough Knead for about 5 minutes, adding a little extra flour if it is too sticky
Then cut the dough into 16 pieces
Roll each piece into a ball shape and pop them on your baking tray next to each other
Leave them to raise for another 10 – 15 minutes somewhere warm
Turn oven on to hot – gas 6 / 200 c/ 390F
While they are rising you can make your white paste mixture
Simply mix all ingredients together until a smooth paste is formed
The paste should be quite thick, if it is runny just add a little more flour until you get the right consistency
You will need either a piping bag or a small plastic food bag
If you use a food bag then make a tiny hole in the corner and this is will act as your piping bag
When the dough has risen a bit more, or to the edge of the baking tray
Pipe a straight line across the buns in one direction and then going across the other way so you make a cross on each bun
Pop into the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through
Whilst they are still hot brush some golden syrup over the top to make a glaze and serve them straight away
They taste best when freshly baked with a good spread of butter