Simple Hot Cross Buns

These simple & easy Hot Cross Buns are softly spiced and just fabulous with an enriched yeasted dough. Served warm and slathered in butter they really are divine.

These Spiced Buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday. The eating of Hot Cross Buns signifies the ending of Lent as they are made with dairy food stuffs, something that is forbidden during this time. The white cross piped onto the buns is obviously rooted in Christianity and the rise of Christ.

All that cinnamon wafting around my kitchen makes me giddy for the whole warm with salted butter experience. I want it dripping from my chin baby.

Hot Cross Buns Recipe

They are made with a fabulously enriched dough that does take longer to prove than a standard bread dough so I always try to do it when I am in the house for at least five hours straight otherwise I get stressed about getting the proving right.

*There is a full printable recipe card below*

I use a 30cm x 20 cm baking tin but you can also use a bigger one or simply a lined flat baking tray.

Ingredients

• 500 grams strong white bread flour
• 1tsp salt
• 2 x 7grams instant dried yeast
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1tsp mixed spice
• 2tsp cinnamon
• 100 grams butter
• 200 mls milk
• 80 grams caster sugar (can be granulated)
• 3 medium eggs (one is for the egg eash)
• 75 grams raisins
• 3tbsp flour & 3tbsp water for the white paste cross

Method

• Place the 500 grams of flour, tsp of salt (put over the other side of the bowl to the yeast), 2 x 7 grams instant dried yeast and 80 grams of sugar in a large mixing bowl.
• Melt the 100 grams butter with the 200 mls milk gently in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the spices, stir & set aside.

• Add the buttery, spiced milk to the flour etc along with the 2 beaten eggs.
• Mix until the dough comes together and then knead or use a dough hook to knead the dough until it is smooth and slightly stretchy.

• Add more milk if your dough is not wet enough.
• Cover your bowl with clingfilm or whatever you like to use. I have a shower cap! Leave somewhere warm to double in size for 1-2 hours.

• Knock the dough back by punching the air out of it in the bowl and then removing it from the bowl and giving it a little knead.
• I roughly roll it out using a rolling pin into a rough rectangle and sprinkle over the 75 grams of sultanas/raisins.

• Roll it up and then knead the whole dough for a few minutes so that the raisins get distributed through out.
• Weigh your dough and work out how much each bun needs to weigh to make 12 buns.

•  I roll the dough into balls by using my hands in a cupping motion on the work surface or by pulling the dough tight from the top to the bottom like a draw stringed purse.
• This does tend to give a smoother finish. I do remove any naked raisins sticking out. as they will burn.

• Cover with oiled clingfilm and leave somewhere warm to puff up. It can take up to an hour.

• I brush them with a beaten egg as wash before piping over my white cross. I make this by mixing water to the flour to make a sticky paste that will hold it's shape when piped.
•  I think the easiest way to pipe is to use disposable piping bags and snip the end so that you have about a 3mm hole.

• Bake for 20-25 minutes until turning a deep brown and hollow when tapped on the bottom. Not the easiest thing to do I grant you but carefully give it a go.

Tips & Tricks

• keep the white paste as thin as possible because it can bake up hard and if there is too much of it then it will be unpleasant
• thin the white paste with an extra splash of water if it seems too thick
• watch the tops of the buns don't burn towards the end of the baking
• you can use a bigger tin if you want it can even be a flat tray just watch the baking time as they will bake faster than if they are in a tin with sides.

Here are some more easy Easter recipes.

Mini Egg Pavlova

Easter Chocolate Cake.

Mini Egg Easter Cookies

Easter Chocolate Cupcakes

 

 

Do let me know how you got on in the comments below . I love a good old hairy chin wag.