:: How I Make Hot Cross Buns

In case you want some cosy buns for Easter!

Pip’s Hot Cross Buns

Make the dough the night before and be sure it’s in a nice big bowl (so it doesn’t overflow!) and well covered (no one likes bug-buns!)

Yeast Mixture:
2 7g sachets of dried yeast
1 tsp white sugar
1 3/4 cups of warm milk (not hot!)

Mix above ingredients together and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes to get the yeast going and the milk frothy.  Set aside and make the dough.

Dough Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar (yes, more sugar!)
a pinch of salt
50g butter – softened (not completely melted though!)
4 cups good quality plain flour
1/2 cup sultanas (or you could add some currants as well!)
1/2 cup chopped dried apple
1/2 cup chopped mixed peel
1 egg
ground cinnamon, nutmeg and mixed spice -1 teaspoon of each

Icing/Cross Ingredients
See notes at bottom of recipe

Method:

Make the dough:
Sift the salt and flour together. Sprinkle in the 1/2 cup of sugar. Now add the cinnamon, nutmeg and mixed spice. Rub in the butter next until well mixed. (I put the whole lot into my Kitchen Aid and use the dough hook, so you can use a mixer too, if you have one!)
Next, plonk the egg into the milky/yeasty mixture – and whisk with a fork to combine. Now pour the eggy/milky/yeasty mixture into the floury/buttery mix.

Add the sultanas, apple and peel. It might be quite sticky. Flour your hands and push on. Sticky is good. Sticky means they will end up moist and bubbly. If it seems dry, add a slosh of milk.  If it’s so sticky you want to scream, add a little extra flour.
Mix or knead together with springy, spirit fingers until it’s all nicely combined and looks like a nice big lump of speckled dough.  Good job!

First Rise (the night before!) :
Place into a greased bowl, or just leave in the mixer bowl as they buttery-ness of the dough should stop things from getting too sticky. Let the dough rise, covered with a clean cloth (until doubled in size). It will rise more quickly in a warm, draught free area.

Here is where you cover them and let it sit overnight, just cover your bowl tightly with plastic wrap if you want to do that.
If you plan to make them all in one day, just let them double in size (for their first rise) and move on to the next step, shaping your buns.

Get up and shape your buns: 
Good morning! I like your hair! Okay. Make a cup of coffee. Preheat your oven to 400F or 200C. Next, turn the dough out gently onto a floured surface. Don’t knead it!  Notice that it’s spongey and full of bubbles? That is perfect!  Next, carefully cut it into rough square-ish pieces around 4cm square (or bigger if you like big buns!) Gently push them into a nice bun shape with your finger tips, as though you are a very gentle dough sculptor. You should get about 16 or so buns from this – enough for 2 trays – don’t worry if you get less (but don’t try for 20 or they’ll be TINY!) Grease your trays and pop the buns on – a little way apart – they will join together as they rise and bake.

Final Rise:
Now cover these nearly oven-ready buns with a couple of tea towels and let them rise again for half an hour or so in a warm spot. They may not double in size, but they will have time to recover and get ready to rise more in the oven.

Make the flour paste and get piping if you want traditional crosses:
Mix half a cup of plain flour with four or five tablespoons of water and pipe onto the uncooked buns in crosses (use a piping bag or a plastic bag with the corner snipped off a teensy bit)

Brush them with egg wash:
Mix 1 Egg Yolk with 1 Tbsp Milk to make ‘egg wash’. Now brush your buns all over with this mixture using a pastry brush. Be sure to avoid your crosses if you added them! This egg wash will help make your buns a nice burnished golden colour!