HOT CROSS BUNS
HOT CROSS BUNSNothing says Easter like Hot Cross Buns. We’ve teamed up with The Good Housekeeping Institute to bring you this scrummy recipe. Be sure to check them out for cooking classes and as well as other great recipes.
Ingredients
Preparation: 1hr plus proving
Cooking time: 18 min
Makes: 12
Ingredients
300g (11oz) strong white bread flour, plus extra to dust
1tsp mixed spice
25g (1oz) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus extra to grease
50g (2oz) caster sugar
Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
1 x 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
170ml (6fl oz) semi-skimmed milk, plus a dash more if needed
1 medium egg
75g (3oz) sultanas or mixed fruit for the cross topping
1tbsp plain flour
1tbsp golden syrup, to glaze
Method
Put the strong flour, mixed spice, butter and ½tsp salt into a food processor, and pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Alternatively, rub the butter into the flour mixture using your fingers.
Add the sugar, lemon zest and yeast and pulse again (or stir) to combine. Empty the mixture into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Gently heat the milk until it’s just warm, then add the milk and egg to the flour bowl and stir quickly to make a soft dough. If the mixture feels too dry, you can add a little more cold milk.
Dust a work surface with flour, then knead the dough for 5min or until elastic. Transfer dough to a large, lightly greased bowl, cover with cling film, and leave in a warm place to rise for 1hr.
Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead in the sultanas (you may need to flour the work surface again). Return the dough to the bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise for 30min.
Lightly grease a baking sheet with butter. Turn the dough out on to a floured work surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Shape each into a ball, then flatten slightly. Arrange the balls on the baking sheet, spacing them a little apart. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise for 45min.
Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan) mark 7. To make the cross topping, put the flour into a small bowl and mix in just enough cold water to give it a smooth, pipeable consistency (about 2tbsp). Put the flour mixture into a piping bag (no need for a nozzle), snip off the tip and, working quickly, pipe a cross on top of each bun.
Bake the buns for 15-18min, or until golden and risen. As soon as they come out of the oven, brush with golden syrup. Then allow to cool completely on a wire rack, or eat warm with lashings of butter.
