Hot cross bun recipes

Make classic hot cross buns at home, with a recipe written by our Development Chef, Alan.

Ingredients

Bread flour 400g
Wholemeal flour 100g
Mixed spice 4g
Caster sugar 50g
Raisins 150g
Butter 50g
Dry yeast 3g
Egg 1                    
Milk 300ml
Maldon salt 2g                   
Flour 60g
Water 50ml
Sugar 30g

Method

1. In a pot warm up the milk, do not boil, just warm enough to touch. Mix with the yeast. Leave until it starts to bubble. This will activate the yeast. Around 10-15 min.

2. In a bowl mix the flour, mixed spice, maldon salt, sugar, raisins. Add the milk and yeast and mix thoroughly with a fork first and then finish with your hands.

3. Add the melted butter and the egg.

4. Knead thoroughly with your hands or a machine with a bread hook. Make sure the dough is smooth. Once ready, place in a bowl with some flour and cover with a damp cloth (cloth shouldn’t touch the dough). Leave to prove until double it's size.

5. Remove from bowl, knead again to take all the air from the dough. Cut in to 14 equal pieces (80g each).

6. Make each of the dough pieces into balls.

7. Line a tray with parchement paper. Place the balls with one inch between them. Leave to prove again. In the meantime place the water and sugar in a pan, and heat until the sugar melts, remove from heat and mix with the flour until smooth. Allow to cool down.

8. Once the balls double in size, carefully brush with an egg wash (1 egg with 1 tbsp of milk), do the cross with the mix in the pipping bag.

9. Place in a preheated oven at 220 degrees/gas mark 6. Cook for 20 min until golden. Remove, leave to cool and enjoy!