hot cross buns, delivered by the easter fairy

hot cross buns, delivered by the easter fairy

 

In my part of the world, it’s Good Friday, Easter. And even though I wouldn’t call myself a Christian (or anything else, for that matter), I still am in love with the delectable-ness that is the hot cross bun. Fragrantly spicy, richly warm and yeasty, served straight out of the oven with lashings of butter – who can resist that?  YUM.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. This recipe is one that I’ve adapted from the recipe book that came with my {ahem} breadmaking machine… Yes. Sometimes I let it do all the hard work, before I take the dough out and shape it before proving and baking. Please don’t think I’m lazy though, because really I’m not. I’ve just got other things to do. Like Pinterest

 

Of course, these are good for any time you feel like something rich and yeasty with currants and cinnamon in your life, not just Easter.

 

HOT CROSS BUNS

Buns – 

455g plain flour
1 tspn salt
4 tspns dried yeast
250ml warm milk
50g sultanas
50g currants
50g butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tspn mixed spice
1/2 tspn cinnamon

The cross – 

Make a paste from 1/4 cup flour mixed with a little water. Put the paste into a small ziplock plastic bag, and snip the tiniest bit of corner off to make a disposable piping bag. Pipe the paste on before baking.

 

Method – 

Preheat oven to 200 deg. C.

Mix all ingredients together to make a soft dough. Knead until smooth (or let your breadmaker do this part). Leave it to rise for an hour or so. Knead it again thoroughly, then  divide dough into 16. Roll each section into a ball and arrange them on your baking tray. Place a sheet of baking paper over them, over cover the whole in a teatowel while they are rising. Leave them to rise for another hour or so.

If you would like to pipe on a cross at this stage, put the paste in a piping bag with a small plain nozzle. (I’ve been tempted on occasion to pipe on little cranky faces.)

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until they’re nicely browned on top. While they’re baking, make a glaze by mixing 1 tblspn sugar, 1 tblspn gelatine, and 1 tblspn hot water together. (This glaze is also optional.)

If you wish, brush the hot, cooked buns with the glaze, and then leave to cool for a bit on a wire rack.

You must eat them while they’re still warm, or else you’ll make the Easter Bunny cross.


{Of course, any kind of home-made bread is delicious. If you’re a bread-making virgin, you might like to start with my total favourite basic loaf, here. It’s EASY, I promise!
Cheers, J x}