Hot cross buns

Serves:

Makes 16

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon dried yeast
• ¼ cup caster sugar
• 1 cup (250mL) warm milk
• 4 cups plain flour (bread flour)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon all spice
• 60g butter, chopped
• ½ cup currants
• ½ cup sultanas
• ½ cup (125mL) warm water
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon apricot jam

Flour paste

• ½ cup plain flour
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar
• 1/3 cup (80mL)

Method

Place yeast, sugar and milk in a small bowl, whisk until yeast dissolves. Cover with plastic wrap, stand in a warm place (see Notes) for 10 minutes or until mixture is frothy. Sift flour, cinnamon and all spice into a large bowl and rub in butter (try the Buddhism for Mothers approach and embrace the moment). Stir in yeast mixture, currants, sultanas, egg and water. Cover with plastic wrap and stand in a warm place (see Notes) for 1 hour or until mixture has doubled in size.

Grease a deep 23cm square tin with butter. Turn dough onto a floured surface (let the kids help you punch the air out) and knead for 5 minutes. Divide dough into 16 pieces, form into balls and place in the tin. Stand in warm place (see Notes) for 20 minutes or until dough has doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 180°C. To prepare flour paste, combine flour and sugar in a bowl; gradually blend in enough water to form a thickish smooth paste. Spoon paste into a piping bag with a small plain tube or use a snap lock bag and cut off a tiny corner. Pipe crosses onto buns—four long lines vertically and then horizontally across each row of buns.

Bake for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 160°C for about 20 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack and brush with warm jam (or not if you don’t like sticky buns).

Serve as soon as they are cold enough to touch, plain or with butter.

Find related Easter recipes

• Caramello egg brownies
• Easter egg biscuits
• Ice cream easter eggs
• Glazed hot cross buns
• Iced bunny biscuits
• White chocolate Easter egg cupcakes
• Chocolate bird’s nest
• Easter bunny iced biscuits

Serving Suggestions

Note

• This recipe involves 1h 20 min standing (rising) time for the dough.
• Nothing like working with yeast and kneading to bring out your inner Domestic Goddess!
• If your house is a bit on the cool side when you are baking buns, you will find warm places are in the laundry if the dryer is on, on top of the oven if you are baking something else or sit the bowl/tin on a heated wheat bag.
• Will keep in an airtight container for a few days; reheat in the oven for 5-10 minutes before serving.
• Recipe created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot.