Good Friday is hot cross buns day
Hot cross buns are a Christian tradition, that have very much so become part of our every day lives. Traditionally, they were only eaten on Good Friday, the Friday before Easter Sunday. Today, they are widely available for some months before and after Easter, with some shops stocking them all year round. And if I’m being totally honest, I don’t only eat hot cross buns on Good Friday! I really do enjoy these delicious fruity treats.
Easter means spring… or autumn for some
I can’t believe that the year has flown by so fast, and that it is only a few days until Easter. This is usually one of my favourite times of the year. In Greece and in England it is a sign that spring is well on it’s way. You can enjoy more and more beautiful sunny spring days. Yellow daffodils sprout up everywhere in England, giving little bursts of sunshine to your day. In Greece the hills are full of blossoming almond trees, and the meadows are decorated with the prettiest array of wild flowers.
In Cape Town, things are upside down and we are going into autumn. Although I don’t love autumn as much as spring, this time of year is also special here. The trees turn golden and red, and the leaves slowly start to drop. We still enjoy some spectacularly warm days by the beach, and on cooler days, we spend time hiking and enjoying outdoor sports. Unfortunately due to the corona virus, we are on a nationwide lockdown and can’t enjoy too much time outside. So, now is the time to make the most of all the things you can do inside. What could be more fun than baking some scrumptious hot cross buns for Easter?
Sometimes it’s nice to be traditional
There’s nothing more delicious than a freshly baked hot cross bun, slathered with half melted butter and served with a lovely cup of tea. They are actually pretty easy to make as well. Hot cross buns are basically just a sweetened, flavoured, yeasted bread dough. They are traditionally lightly spiced, and have dried fruit such as currants and raisins added to them. I like to add a mix of sultanas and raisins, as I like the different colours. Candied citrus peel with some fresh orange and lemon zest gives a delicious citrus flavour to the buns.
It is traditional to decorate hot cross buns with a cross. You can either bake them with the cross, or you can bake the buns plain and then pipe the crosses on afterwards. I prefer to bake them with the crosses, as the crosses bake into the dough and become deliciously crispy.
The best way to eat them, is of course warm straight out the oven. They do go stale quite quickly, so ideally store them in an airtight container. If you eat them the next day, the buns will be delicious toasted with some butter.
Hot Cross Buns
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Ingredients
- BUN DOUGH:
- 450g flour
- 70g golden castor sugar
- 10g sachet of active dry yeast
- 5ml salt
- 10ml mixed spice
- 5ml cinnamon
- 2ml nutmeg
- 250ml milk (you may not need it all)
- 60g butter
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 120g sultanas and raisins mixed (you can use only sultanas or raisins if you don't have both)
- 30g candied citrus peel
- Zest of 1/2 orange (optional)
- Zest of 1/2 lemon (optional)
- A little oil
- CROSS BATTER:
- 80g flour
- 100ml water
- Pinch of salt
- GLAZE:
- 15ml apricot jam
- 15ml golden castor sugar
- 15 water
- Squeeze of lemon juice
Instructions
BUN DOUGH:
- Sift together the flour, castor sugar, yeast, salt and spices.
- Heat the milk to lukewarm, and then remove from the heat and divide in half.
- Melt the butter, then add to half the milk. Check that the milk and butter mixture is at body temperature/lukewarm. If it is too hot, then let it cool down.
- Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Add the orange zest and lemon zest, and then pour in the milk and butter mixture and the whisked eggs. Start to bring the ingredients together using your hands (or a dough hook if you are using a stand up mixer). Gradually add the leftover milk, to form a soft, slightly sticky dough. You may not need all the milk – I used about 210ml in total. If you accidentally add too much liquid, just sprinkle over a little flour and knead it in.
- Knead the dough by hand on a clean counter (or with a dough hook in a stand up mixer) for 10 minutes. It should be smooth and shiny.
- Add the sultanas, raisins and candied citrus peel. Knead for about 1-2 minutes until the fruit is well distributed throughout the dough.
- Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Leave in a warm place to prove until doubled in size. This should take about 1-1 1/2 hours.
- Place the risen dough on a clean surface and knock it back by kneading it for 1-2 minutes.
- Weigh the dough and divide by 12 . Weigh 12 equal pieces of dough, and then shape into neat round buns. It’s important that the buns are the same size, so that they bake evenly and look more attractive.
- Place the buns not too far apart on a greased baking tray. You don’t want the gap between them to be too big, as you want them to be touching once they have proven for the second time. When they come out the oven, you will be able to tear them apart, giving them a nice rustic look.
- Cover the buns loosely with a piece of greased cling wrap. Place in a warm place to prove, until double in size. This will take about 1-1 1/2 hours.
CROSS BATTER:
- Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Place a tray at the bottom of the oven with water in it. This will help create steam and give the buns a nice crust.
- Add a pinch of salt to the flour, and then gradually mix in the water to form a pipe-able batter. You might not need all the water. Place the batter in a disposable piping bag.
- One the buns have doubled in size, remove the cling wrap.
- Snip a small hole at the end of the piping bag, and pipe crosses neatly on the buns.
- Place the hot cross buns in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes. Turn the temperature down to 200°C (180°C fan) after 10 minutes. Bake until the buns are golden and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
GLAZE:
- Place the apricot jam, castor sugar and water in a small pot. Place on a medium heat and stir until the apricot jam has melted and the sugar has dissolved.
- Remove from the heat and add a good squeeze of lemon juice.
- Brush the hot cross buns generously with the glaze.
- Serve warm with some butter and a freshly brewed pot of tea.
