Hot Cross Buns are a welcome treat for family and friends visiting at Easter. Fresh yeast can be found in most major supermarkets. The ingredients for this dough enjoy a warm environment so the top of your ESSE stove is the perfect resting place for warming milk, flour and to prove your dough.
Ingredients
- 450g strong white bread flour
- 25g fresh yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 300ml milk and water, warm
- 2 teaspoon mixed spice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 50g light soft brown sugar
- 140g mixed fruit with peel
- 50g melted butter
- 1 egg, beaten
- Honey for the glaze
Method
- Mix the yeast with the warm milk and water mixture with ½ teaspoon honey.
- Warm the flour and make a well in the centre.
- Melt the butter and put this in the well with the sugar, salt, mixed spiced, fruit and beaten egg.
- Mix together adding the yeast mix as you go.
- It will be a sticky dough, leave it in a warm place to prove.
- When it has doubled in size knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth.
- Divide into pieces, shape them into rounds and place them on a lined baking tray.
- Mark each round firmly with a cross.
- Brush with a little egg wash then pipe a cross with a little paste, make out of flour and water, in the indentation.
- Leave in a warm place until the buns are well risen and bake in a hot oven 220°C/ESSE dial guide HOT (aim for the dial reading to be at the top end of HOT) for about 15 minutes or until golden.
- Brush with a little melted honey.
Recipe presented by Philippa Vine at Bluebell Farmhouse Kitchen.
