Hot cross buns
Spiced fruit buns with a flour-paste cross for Good Friday
BritishHot cross buns are eaten toasted with butter on Good Friday across England, and London bakeries have sold them for centuries to the old street cry 'one a penny, two a penny'. The soft, spiced dough is full of currants and orange peel, and the cross on top is piped from a simple flour paste before baking. Chef's tip: let the dough rise somewhere really warm; spiced, fruited dough is slow and needs patience.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the buns
- 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour
- ¼ oz instant dried yeast
- 2 ⅝ oz caster sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup milkwarm
- 1 ¾ oz buttermelted
- 1 egg
- 5 ½ oz sultanas and currants
- 1 ¾ oz mixed peel
For the cross and glaze
- 2 ⅝ oz plain flour
- 5 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp golden syrupwarmed
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix the 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour, ¼ oz instant dried yeast, 2 ⅝ oz caster sugar, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp mixed spice and 1 tsp ground cinnamon. Add the 1 cup milk, 1 ¾ oz butter and 1 egg and knead 10 minutes to a soft, smooth dough.
12 minStep 2: Knead in the 5 ½ oz sultanas and currants, 1 ¾ oz mixed peel and 1 orange zest. Cover and rise in a warm place for 1–1½ hours until doubled.
80 minStep 3: Divide into 12 balls and set them, just touching, on a lined tray. Cover and rise 45 minutes. Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan).
50 minStep 4: Mix the 2 ⅝ oz plain flour and 5 tbsp water into a thick paste and pipe a line along each row of buns, then across, to make crosses.
5 minStep 5: Bake for 18–20 minutes until golden brown and hollow-sounding underneath. A common mistake is a runny paste, which spreads and disappears.
20 minStep 6: Brush with the warm 2 tbsp golden syrup straight away for a shine. Serve split, toasted and buttered.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hot cross buns take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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