Hot Cross Buns are very popular in Britain at Easter. They are eaten at the end of lent on Good Friday. You can read the history of Hot Cross Buns here. They are widely available in the stores in England, but the homemade version is so much better. Do not be put off working with yeast if you are not used to it. This recipe is easy to do. Make sure your yeast is not past its sell by date. They are a delicious fruit bun and can be made all year round not just at Easter. On Valentines pipe a heart on them, For St. Patrick’s Day pipe a shamrock and my favorite outside of Easter is Christmas, pipe a snowflake.
Here is the recipe.
Buns
- 310ml warm milk (43 degrees C, 110 F)
- 60g.2.25Ozs fine sugar
- 2 (7g) sachets dried active dried yeast
- 600g/3 cups/plain flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 60g/2.25 Ozs butter
- 250g raisins or sultanas (I prefer sultanas they are more succulent and make the bun a littler more moist.
- 2 eggs
Method:
Prep:15min › Cook:25min › Extra time:1hr proofing › Ready in:1hr40min
For the buns:
- In a bowl, whisk together the milk, sugar, and yeast until all the sugar has dissolved. Cover and set aside until the yeast has activated and the mixture has become frothy.
- In a large bowl sift together the flour, salt, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. With your fingers rub in the butter until the result looks like fine breadcrumbs.
- Stir into the flour mixture the raisins, eggs and frothy yeast then mix until all are combined. Bring the mixture together into a dough.
- On a lightly floured surface knead the dough for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Transfer dough to a large lightly oiled bowl then cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for 45 minutes – 1hr to prove or until the dough has doubled in size. I have a proofer in my oven. I heat it for 20 mins is set to 200F. I use this as a warm proving place. I turn the oven off before I put the dough in. It works well. A normal oven works too if you heat it at 200F but make sure to turn it off before you put the buns in. If it is too hot a skin will form on the dough and prevent the rise and really mess up the smoothness of your dough.
- Remove the risen dough from the bowl and knock it back with your fist. Slightly knead then divide into 12 buns. You should have 12 buns total. You can make more from this batch if you prefer smaller buns (who doesn’t want smaller buns)!
- Preheat the oven to 200 C / 400F. Grease a 20x30cm deep cake tin or use silicone mat.
- Place the buns neatly in rows into the prepared baking tin; cover with cling film then leave in a warm place to rise for 15 minutes. By now the oven should be heated so I just leave it on top of the stove.
For the crosses and glaze:
- Mix together a cup of regular flour and a tablespoon of sugar. Slowly add some orange and whisk until you have a nice smooth paste. Transfer to a piping bag, then carefully pipe a cross onto the top of each bun. Use the slightly larger pipe for straight lines not the smallest once. Many recipes just call for flour and water to make the paste, but I do not like the bland taste that adds to an otherwise deliciously aromatic bun.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180 C / 370F and bake for a further 15 minutes until risen and golden. If the buns are still pale after 15 minutes bake for another 5 minutes. This is the key to getting a nice golden crust. Use a timer.
- Add about 2 tablespoons of apricot jam to a pan and bring slowly to the boil. Add a little bit of orange juice. Take the mixture off the stove and strain through a metal sieve. This makes a lovely clear glaze like you see in the picture here.
- Allow the buns to cool but treat yourself to 1 while it is still warm with butter and a nice cup of tea Ahh….
Note: if you do not have allspice, it won’t hurt the recipe to leave it out.
