Hot corss buns

Easter is the perfect time to enjoy special foods – following the traditional prayer, fasting and repentance of Lent, the Easter feast includes seasonal and symbolic Easter foods. One of the favourites in UK Easter baking is the tasty hot cross bun. Perhaps the most-loved of all Easter foods (aside from chocolate eggs of course!)

A hot cross bun is a spiced sweet bun made with currants or raisins and marked with a cross on the top, traditionally eaten on Good Friday in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean, South Africa, and Canada, but now available all year round.

The traditional method for making the cross on top of the bun is to use shortcrust pastry, however, more recently recipes have recommended a paste consisting of flour and water.

Ingredients 12-14 servings:

450g strong plain white flour
1teaspoon salt
1teaspoon ground cinnamon
1teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
55g butter
11/2 teaspoons easy-blend dried yeast
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
25g caster sugar
85g sultanas
25g chopped mixed peel
1 large egg
about 250ml warm milk
85g ready made shortcrust pastry




Preparation:

Grease baking sheet and set aside. Sift the flour, salt and spices into a large bowl, then rub in the butter. Stir the yeast, lemon zest, caster sugar, sultanas and mixed peel. Make a well in the centre, then add egg and enough milk, mixing to form a soft dough.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a round, then place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

Knock back the dough on a lightly floured surface, then divide in into 12-14 equal pieces. Knead each piece into a ball and place on the baking sheet. Flatten each ball slightly. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut into narrow strips. Brush the buns with a little water and top each one a pastry cross. Cover and leave to rise again for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 190C/375F. Bake the buns for about 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.