Traditional Hot Cross Buns
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(0 votes)
Difficulty:
moderate
Difficulty
Preparation:
50 min.
Preparation
ready in 3 h. 15 min.
Ready in
Ingredients
for
12
- Ingredients
- ¾ oz Yeast (OR 7 g dried yeast)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ground cinnamon
- ground cloves
- ground allspice
- 0.333 cup Currants
- 1 oz candied Orange peel
- 1 oz candied Lemon peel
- ⅕ cup butter (melted)
- 1 egg
- ½ cup milk
- all-purpose flour (for working the dough)
- For the cross
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- For the glaze
- 4 Tbsps sugar
Preparation steps
1.
Mix the yeast with 1 tsp sugar and 125 ml lukewarm water. Cover and leave in a warm place for around 15 minutes to start working.
2.
Put the flour in a mixing bowl and mix in the salt and a pinch each of cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Add the remaining sugar, currants, orange and lemon peel and mix together well. Make a well in the centre and pour in the yeast solution. Add the butter and egg and knead the dough together well, gradually adding lukewarm milk, until you have a firm but smooth dough which is forming bubbles. Cover and leave in a warm place for around 1 hour to rise.
3.
Line a baking tray with grease-proof paper.
4.
Briefly knead the dough again, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a long cylinder. Divide into around 12 equal-sized pieces. Form each piece into a ball, flatten slightly with the palm of your hand and place on the baking tray, leaving a little space between them. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for a further 45 minutes.
5.
Finally, mark a slight cross in each bun using the blunt side of a knife.
6.
Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C in a fan oven), 425°F, gas 7.
7.
For the cross, mix the flour and icing sugar with 3 tbsp water to form a thick paste. Spoon into a piping bag with a small nozzle and pipe white crosses into the cross mark on each bun. Bake the buns in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
8.
For the glaze, heat 4 tbsp water with the sugar to dissolve. Brush over the buns. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
