Hot Cross Buns

April 10, 2017

Easter just wouldn't be the same without toasted hot cross buns, generously covered with unsalted butter and strawberry jam. Mmmmmm....yummy!! And although they are cheap and easy to find in all supermarkets and bakeries at this time of year, there's nothing more satisfying or fun than baking some for yourself from scratch. They will taste so much better and the smell of them baking in your oven will fill your home with a sensory pleasure. 

So here's my recipe for hot cross buns. They are so easy to make and the prepping and mixing don't take long at all, you just need to allow a little time for proving. Best of all, you can add some of your own favourite fruit and spices to customise your buns and have them just how you want them!

Ingredients

For the buns:

• 450g strong white flour
• 100g unsalted butter
• pinch of salt
• 50g unrefined caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 200ml milk
• 10g dried yeast
• A good pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 heaped teaspoon cinnamon
• 100g sultanas
• 50g mixed peel

Eggwash:

• 1 egg
• a little milk

For the criss-crosses:

• 4 heaped tablespoons plain white flour
• 2 tablespoons boiling water

For the glaze:

• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• a little boiling water

Method

Next make the mixture which will create the criss-crosses by mixing the flour with some water until you get a thick gloopy paste. Spoon it into a piping bag, then pipe a cross onto each bun.

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I just love the flavour of cardamom in an enriched yeasty dough. In Scandinavia they use cardamom a lot in yeast buns and it makes them deliciously aromatic. I use 6 cardamom pods, removing the seeds from the pods by giving them a bash to break the skin of the pods, then crush the seeds in a mortar and pestle until they are quite fine. 

If you don't want to use sultanas, you can replace with dried blueberries, cranberries or any other dried fruit you like.

I also add 2 eating apples for extra moisture. Just peel and core the apples and dice them into small pieces and add to the mix. I wouldn't knead the dough by hand if adding apples as this could get messy, but the apples will be fine if your using your mixer to do the work!

If you don't want to use strong white flour, then spelt will work just as well.

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