Hot Cross Buns

Makes 6 -8 buns

Prep time – 10 minutes

Proving time -40 minutes

Cooking time – 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 500g – strong flour
• ½ tsp – salt
• 2 tsp – mixed spice
• 50g – golden caster sugar
• 50g – unsalted butter
• 225g – mixed dried fruit
• 1 x 7g – sachet dried yeast
• 2 – large free-range eggs, whisked
• 200ml – whole milk

For the crosses

• 60g – plain flour
• To glaze – honey

Method:

• Add flour salt, mixed spice and sugar to a bowl and stir.
• Rub in the butter with your fingertips.
• Stir in the dried fruit, sprinkle over the yeast and mix in.
• Warm the milk slightly and mix with the whisked eggs.
• Add this mixture to the flour and fruit and combine well until it becomes a loose dough.
• Break the dough into 6 – 8 even-sized pieces and place on a lightly floured surface.
• Mould them into individual buns and place them on a lined baking tray well apart from each other.
• Allow the buns to prove for 30 – 40 minutes until they have grown by about 50%.
• Preheat the oven to 200˚C.
• To make the crosses mix the flour with a little water to make a paste and add to a piping bag.
• Once the buns have risen, carefully pipe the mix to make a cross on each bun.
• Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until risen and golden, remove to a wire rack to cool.
• Once the buns have slightly cooled, brush with honey and allow them to cool completely.