Cuisine type: Traditional
Favourite flavours: Cakes/baking

Sweet buns are universally baked to mark Easter, the cross on the top having diverse ancient origins, all of them symbolic. Certainly there’s nothing like the aroma of hot cross buns wafting through the house to get your tastebuds into gear on Good Friday.

INGREDIENTS

4 teaspoons (14g) dry yeast
1/3 cup (75g) caster sugar
1 cup (250ml) warm milk
4 cups (600g) plain flour
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
80g butter, chopped
1 cup (160g) sultanas
2 tablespoons finely chopped mixed peel
1 egg, beaten lightly
1/3 cup (80ml) warm water, approximately

FLOUR PASTE
1/4 cup (35g) plain flour
2 teaspoons caster sugar
2 tablespoons cold water, approximately

GLAZE
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 teaspoon powdered gelatine
1 tablespoon water

METHOD

1. Combine the yeast with one tablespoon of the sugar and all of the milk in a small bowl; whisk until the yeast is dissolved. Cover the bowl and stand in a warm place (on the door in front of a very slow oven is ideal) for about 10 minutes or until the mixture is frothy.
2. Sift the flour, spices and salt into a large bowl; rub in the butter. Stir in the remaining sugar, fruit, yeast mixture, egg and enough water to make a soft dough. Cover the bowl with oiled plastic wrap and stand in a warm place for about one hour or until mixture is doubled in size.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 20 portions; quickly knead each portion into a ball. Or, place hand over the dough and using a circular motion, roll the dough into a ball. Place the balls, almost touching, on a large greased oven tray. Stand in a warm place for about 20 minutes or until dough is almost doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced).
4. FLOUR PASTE: Sift flour and sugar into a small bowl; gradually stir in enough water to make a smooth thick paste. Place the Flour Paste into a resealable plastic bag and snip a tiny piece off one corner. Pipe crosses onto the buns.
5. Bake the buns for about 15 minutes or until buns sound hollow when tapped.
6. GLAZE: Meanwhile, combine all ingredients in a small pan and stir over low heat, without boiling, until the sugar and gelatine are dissolved.
7. Transfer the buns to a wire rack and brush the tops with the Glaze.

Cooked buns suitable to freeze. Glaze suitable to microwave.

VARIATIONS
Choc-chip hot cross buns
For the dough, omit sultanas and mixed peel and add 1 1/2 cups dark choc bits. For the crosses, add 1 tablespoon sifted cocoa powder to the Flour Paste.
Fruit-free hot cross buns
For the dough, omit the sultanas and mixed peel. Divide dough into 20 portions and then roll each portion into 10cm log shapes. Place the logs, almost touching, on a large greased oven tray to form two long loaves.

COOK'S NOTES
Home-made hot cross buns have a slightly more yeasty flavour than commercially made buns and they won’t keep for more than a day or so. You’ll notice hot cross buns appearing in supermarkets weeks before Easter – that’s because they have preservatives added. Rather than slaving over the buns on Easter Sunday, make them the day before and put the shaped buns on a tray. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. They will prove slowly in the refrigerator. The next day, make the crosses, then bake them.