Friday 2 April 2010: Home-made Hot Cross Buns

Yum, yum - home-made hot cross buns for brekkie! Thought I'd share my recipe while I was at it too...

Ingredients
7g sachet fast action dried yeast
175ml tepid milk
350g strong plain white flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
50g butter
fingely grated rind of 1 lemon
25g caster sugar
75g currants
25g mixed peel (or miss this out and just add another 25g currants
1 egg, beaten

75g ready made shortcrust pastry (or I just use 25g butter 50g plain flour, rub them together, then add in enough cold water to bind - and that's the pastry made)

Method
Sift the flour, salt and spices into a bowl and rub in the butter
Stir in the lemon rind, sugar, currants, mixed peel (if using) and dried yeast.
Make a well in the centre: add milk and egg
Beat to form a soft dough, adding more milk if necessary

Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead for about 8 - 10 minutes until the dough is elastic and almost smooth.

NB: The above can all be done in a food mixer too - just add all the ingredients and turn it on and allow it to mix and knead for you!

Put it into a large bowl and cover with a cloth / lightly oiled cling film and leave in a warm place until doubled in size. This takes about an hour and a half normally.

Knock down the dough and knead lightly for 1 - 2 minutes. Divide the dough into 12 equal-sized pieces and knead each one into a small ball.

Place on a baking sheet on which you've place a sheet of baking parchment or alternatively one which you've buttered. Make sure they go seam-side down and flatten them slightly.

Roll our the pastry and cut into narrow strips. Brush the buns with egg to glaze and top each one with a pastry cross. Glaze again. Leave in a warm place until doubled in size - this takes about 30 minutes and gives you time to warm up your oven

Bake at 190 degrees centigrade / gas mark 5 for about 15 - 18 minutes until they sound hollow when tapped.

Cool... then scoff!

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