Treat yourself to a proper sticky hot cross bun this Easter.
Ingredients
- 500g plain flour
- 7g sachet easy-blend yeast
- 50g golden caster sugar, plus 2 tbsp extra for the glaze
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground mixed spice
- 50g dried cranberries and/or blueberries
- 50g sultanas
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 200ml milk, warmed
- 1 egg, beaten
- 50g butter, melted
Method
- 1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, spice, fruit and lemon zest.
- Make a well in the centre and stir in the warm milk, beaten egg and melted butter. Stir together to make a soft dough. Knead on a surface for 5 minutes until smooth. Return to the bowl, cover and leave for 1 hour until risen.
- 2. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with circles of greaseproof paper or muffin cases. Briefly knead the dough and roll out into 12 balls and put one in each case. Cut a cross in the top of each ball, cover again and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
- 3. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Bake the buns for 15-20 minutes until golden. Mix together the remaining sugar with 2 tablespoons of water. Brush the buns with the sugar water as soon as they come out of the oven. Leave to cool a little before eating.
Chef's tip
If there’s one thing that is always worth making yourself it’s a hot cross bun. Home-made ones taste so much better than any you can buy – especially if you eat them while still warm from the oven. You need a bit of time to let them rise but apart from that they are really simple to make.