I adore Hot Cross Buns! The shops are full of them at the moment signifying that the time of the year when I eat way too much chocolate is almost upon us. This year, I have decided not to buy shop brought buns but to make my own. Although, shop brought Hot Cross Buns are generally quite good, you just can’t quite beat home made. These particular buns are from a traditional recipe, they are lightly spiced and contain mixed chopped peel and sultanas. I am planning to experiment over the next couple of weeks with some different flavors but am sticking with a traditional spiced bun for this post.
Hot Cross Buns are English sweet buns which are traditionally eaten on Good Friday. They are made with a rich yeast dough and are lightly flavored with spices such as cinnamon, mixed spice or nutmeg. Traditionally the buns contain dried fruit such as currants or sultanas and mixed peel and they are marked on the top with a cross prior to baking. The buns are best served warm, sliced in half and spread with butter. A variation of the Hot Cross Bun was made in Ancient Greece. However, spiced buns first became really popular in Tudor times. During this time they were only allowed to be made to be sold on special occasions, such as at Christmas or Good Friday. If retailers were found to be selling spiced buns outside of these times, their buns were confiscated and were given to the poor. Nowadays, Hot Cross Buns start appearing in the shops weeks before Easter and although most are still a variation of a spiced bun (with the cross adornment) more and more variations in flavors are being sold.
These buns are best eaten on the day that they are made but if you can’t manage that they are fantastic toasted the following day. They also freeze really well. I just take a few out of the freezer the day that I want them, I let them defrost and then pop them in the over for 5 mins to warm through – delicious.
I hope that you enjoy!
Recipe
Hot Cross Buns
- Prep Time: 4h
- Cook Time: 20m
- Total Time: 4h 20m
- Yield: 12 Buns
- Category: Biscuits & Cookies, Breads, Cakes
Ingredients
- 4 cups /500g strong white flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons /10g salt
- 1/3 cup /75g superfine/caster sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons mixed spice
- 1 1/2 packages fast action dried yeast (approx 10g)
- 1/3 stick/40g butter
- 300 millilitres milk
- 1 1/4 cups /250g sultanas
- 1/4 cup 50g chopped mixed peel
For the topping
- 1/3 cup /75g all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons marmalade
Instructions
- Place the flour, sugar, mixed spice and cinnamon into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix to combine. Next, add the salt to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other side of the bowl.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Once melted take off the heat and add the milk. The butter and milk mixture needs to be tepid - if it is too warm set aside for a few minutes to cool down.
- Add half the milk and butter mixture to the dry ingredients and combine using the dough attachment of your stand mixer. Once the mixture has combined you can add the egg and the rest of the milk and butter mixture. Knead for 5 minutes on a medium setting.
- Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead in the sultanas and mixed peel. Place the dough into a clean, oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for approx 2 hours. The dough should double in size within this time.
- After the dough has risen, tip it onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 12 equal parts. Gently roll each piece into a ball and place, close together on a baking tray (or two). Flatten each ball slightly with the palm of your hand.
- Place the tray of buns into a proving bag (or a clean polythene bag) making sure that the bag doesn't touch the buns. Leave in a warm place for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F/ 220°c /200°c fan.
- Mix 1/3 cup of flour with just under 1/2 cup of water and mix into a paste. Spoon the paste into a piping bag. Remove the tray of buns from the proving bag and pipe crosses over the top of each bun.
- Place the tray of buns into the preheated oven and bake for 15 - 20 minutes until they are golden brown.
- Whilst the buns are cooking, place 3 tablespoons of marmalade into a small saucepan and melt gently.
- Remove the buns from the oven once they are golden brown and brush the top of each bun with a layer of the melted marmalade. This will give the buns a lovely shine. Place the buns on a wire rack to cool before serving.
- These buns are best eaten warm on the day that they are made. However, they also freeze well and can be defrosted and warmed in an oven for up to two months after making.
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