Hot Cross Buns
Photo: EvanProdromou, CC BY-SA 4.0
Hot cross buns are spiced, fruited yeast buns traditionally eaten in the days before Easter. This version builds flavor from just cinnamon and nutmeg, with a full cup of currants dotted through a soft, egg-enriched dough. The cross is cut deep into each bun before baking, and a golden syrup glaze brushed on at the end gives the tops their sticky shine. It makes twelve buns.
Instructions
Warm the milk and water together until lukewarm. Crumble the yeast into a bowl, stir in ½ cup (120 ml) of the flour, then add the warm liquid and mix well.
Cover the bowl and leave it somewhere warm for 10 to 15 minutes, until the mixture is frothy and clearly active.
In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the flour with the sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir the beaten egg and melted butter into the yeast mixture, then add the flour mixture and the currants and mix well.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead it. Put it back in the bowl and let it rise for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
Knead the dough again on a floured surface. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) while you shape the buns.
Divide the dough into twelve pieces and shape each into a bun. Cut a deep cross into the top of each one.
Set the buns on a baking tray, cover with a tea towel and let them rise for 30 minutes. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
While they bake, mix the plain flour, a little vegetable oil and the golden syrup into a glaze. Lift the buns off the tray and brush them with the glaze.
Make it personal.
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