Hot Cross Buns have been linked with Easter for many years, the Pagans worshiped the goddess Eostre and would make tiny cakes with crosses on them during their annual spring festival. Legend has it that Hot Cross Buns baked on Good Friday never go off and were kept from one year to the next, not too sure about that!
Ingredients Makes 15-20 buns
500g strong bread flour with extra for dusting
1 1/2 tsp salt
75g caster sugar
7g sachet dried yeast
300ml mixed milk and water
150g sultanas
Zest of 2 oranges
80g mixed peel
2 tsp ground cinnamon
75g plain flour
For the glaze:
50ml sugar
50ml water
For the crosses:
75g plain flour
Water
Method
Put the flour, salt, yeast and sugar into a bowl. Slowly pour in enough milk and water to form a dough.Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead well for 5 mins, put the dough back into the bowl and leave to rise for an hour.
Mix in the sultanas, mixed peel, orange zest and cinnamon into the dough and leave to rise for another hour. Lightly grease a baking tray, divide the dough into 75g pieces and roll them into balls. Put them onto the tray and leave for another hour. Get your oven to 220c/gas mark 8.
To make the crosses for the buns mix around 75g plain flour with enough water to make a smooth thick paste. You can either make a piping bag using grease proof paper or use a piping bag with a plain nozzle to pipe the paste onto the buns.
Bake the buns until they are golden brown. Mix the sugar and water to make a syrup and brush this liberally all over the buns. Serve and enjoy!
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