HOT CROSS BUNS

In the run-up to Easter, you’re sure to find a batch of hot cross buns standing plump and proud, with crosses that are significant of Good Friday. Bursting with sultanas and glazed with honey, they are the perfect blend of sugar and spice and practically insist on being eaten while warm!

MAKES 12

For the buns:

● 300ml whole milk

● 50g butter

● 1 egg

● 500g strong white bread flour

● 70g caster sugar

● 1 tsp mixed spice

● 1 tsp cinnamon

● ½ tsp ground nutmeg

● 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast

● 1 tsp salt

● 200g sultanas

● ½ tsp sunflower or any mildly flavoured oil, for greasing

For the cross:

● 75g flour

● 2–3 tbsp water

For the glaze:

● 2 tbsp honey

Warm the milk over a very low heat, then stir in the butter until melted. Remove the saucepan from the heat and leave to cool slightly. When tepid to the touch, beat in the egg.

Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the sugar and spices. Place the yeast and salt into the bowl on separate sides then nudge a well into the middle and pour in the butter-egg-milk mixture.

Stir with a wooden spoon, then use your hands to bring it together to form a soft and sticky dough.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead heavily with the heel of your hand for around 5 minutes, until smooth and springy. Knead in the dried fruit until evenly dotted throughout the dough. Lightly oil a clean bowl, then drop the dough in, cover with a damp tea-towel and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, around 1½–2 hours.

When the bread is risen, give it a punch to get rid of the air, then chop into 12 equal pieces, shaping and tucking each one into a smooth, round bun. Line a flat baking tray with baking paper and arrange the buns onto it, a little apart. Cover with a clean tea-towel and leave on the worktop to prove for about another hour, until they rise up and nestle into one another.

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas Mark 7. Meanwhile, mix the flour with water, 1 tbsp at a time, to make a thick paste. Use a piping bag with a fine-tipped nozzle to give each bun a neat little cross.

Bake for 15–20 minutes, until swollen with a golden glow.

While warm, brush with a lick of honey to add sweetness and shine, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.