Hot Cross Buns for Easter
A straightforward and reliable recipe that produces lovely buns with a sticky golden syrup glaze.
Ingredients
For the buns
- 500 g strong white flour plus extra for dusting
- 75 g caster sugar
- 2 tsp mixed spice powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 lemon finely grated zest only
- 10 g salt
- 10 g fast-action dried yeast
- 40 g butter
- 300 ml milk
- 1 free-range egg beaten
- 200 g sultanas
- 50 g mixed candied peel finely chopped
- oil for greasing
For the topping
- 75 g plain flour
- 2 tbsp golden syrup for glazing
Instructions
- Put the flour, sugar, spices and lemon zest into a large bowl and mix together. Then add the salt and yeast, placing them on opposite sides of the bowl.
- Melt the butter in a pan and warm the milk in a separate pan. Add the butter and half the tepid milk to the dry ingredients. Add the egg and use your hands to bring the mixture together, incorporating the flour from the edges of the bowl as you go. Gradually add the remaining milk, to form a soft pliable dough (you may not need all of the milk).
- Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead by hand incorporating the sultanas and mixed peel into the dough. Lightly knead for 10 minutes until silky and elastic and forming a smooth ball. (The kneading can also be done in a food mixer with a dough hook.) Oil a bowl and place the dough in a bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rest in a warm place for about 1½ hours or until doubled in size.
- Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knockback and knead for a further 5 minutes. Return to the bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm place to rise for a further hour, or until doubled in size.
- Turn the dough out again on to a floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces, shaping each of these into a ball. Line 1-2 baking trays with paper and place the balls on the tray, placing them fairly close together and flattening them slightly.
- Slip each baking tray into a large clean polythene bag, making sure the bag doesn’t touch the buns. Leave for 40-60 minutes until the buns have doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/Gas 7.
- For the topping, add the flour to a bowl with 100ml water. Mix together to make a paste and spoon into the icing bag.
- When the buns have risen remove the polythene bags and pipe a cross on each bun. Bake for 15-20 minutes until pale golden-brown, turning the baking trays around halfway through if necessary.
- Melt the golden syrup in a pan and while the buns are still warm, brush the buns with a little syrup to give them a nice shine, before setting them aside to cool on a wire rack.
Nutrition
Calories: 346kcalCarbohydrates: 65gProtein: 7gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gFiber: 3gSugar: 24g
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