Hot Cross Buns

- Serves: Makes 14
- Preparation time: 45 minutes (2 hours to rise)
Method
These buns are traditionally served around Easter, but leave off the cross decoration and you can eat them anytime as teacakes
- Pour the water into a large bowl, crumble in the yeast, stir in 100g of the flour, then cover the bowl with a dish towel and leave to stand for 20 minutes.
- Add the milk, eggs, sugar, salt and the remaining flour and knead using the dough hook of a food processor or electric whisk until smooth.
- Stir in the butter, sultanas, cinnamon, mixed spice and nutmeg. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
- Meanwhile, to make the decoration, mix together the flour, sugar and water in a small bowl.
- Grease two large baking trays. Turn out the dough on to a lightly floured work surface, knock back, then divide into 14 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place the balls on the prepared trays.
- Fill a disposable piping bag with the flour mixture, cut off the tip and pipe a cross on to each ball, then gently brush some milk over the tops of the buns. Leave the buns to rise for 40 minutes, then brush with milk again.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas Mark 5. Bake the buns in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes until golden.
- Serve warm with butter and marmalade.

Recipe from ‘BAKE’ part of Parragon Books’ range of Love Food cookbooks
Nutrition
N/A
Puree
N/AFinger Food
Toast and butter a bun then chop into bite-sized pieces