Hot Cross Buns

Easter... whether you love the religiousness or just the cute chocolate bunnies, two tasty things represent this holiday: Easter eggs and hot cross buns. And whilst pouring melted chocolate into a mould would be very fun, I've chosen to make some hot cross buns!


Ingredients

• 625g white bread flour
• 45g unsalted butter
• 2tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 85g caster sugar
• 1 lemon zest
• 7g yeast
• 1 beaten egg
• 275ml milk
• 125g dried fruit
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp golden syrup

First preheat the oven to 200 degrees, sieve the bread flour, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl, then cut the butter into cubes and add . Now 'rub' in the butter (use your fingertips to breakdown the butter and flour until it's in breadcrumbs). Make a well in the middle and then add the sugar, yeast, the zest of a whole lemon and egg. Now warm some milk in a pan on the hob (don't let it boil though), then leave until lukewarm. Next you need to make the dough so add half of the milk and mix. Add a little more milk until you have a soft dough, don't worry if you don't use it all.

Sprinkle some flour on a clean work surface and knead the dried fruit into the dough for 5 minutes. Now prove the dough by putting it in a greased bowl, cover with cling film and leaving it somewhere warm for 1 hour. After an hour turn out the dough, knead slightly then shape into buns. To do this I cut the dough in half (lengthways) and then into equal balls, you should be able to get 10 hot cross buns from this recipe. Put them on a greased baking tray, cover with a tea towel and put back in the warm place for 15 minutes.

Before baking the buns add the crosses (always a mystery to me until now!) by making a flour paste. Mix the plain flour with cold water and then pipe on to the buns using a piping bag or a makeshift one made from a sandwich bag! Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Once out of the oven, immediately glaze with hot golden syrup. They're now ready to be eaten... I'd recommend eating them warm or toasted with a generous spreading of butter! Happy Easter!