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March 29, 2021

102 Comments

It’s that time of year again when we are eating hot cross buns and if you haven’t baked your own; you’re missing out because they taste even more amazing than bought ones.

This recipe is from famous British baker, Paul Hollywood and it’s GOOD!

Hot cross buns

Ingredients:

For the buns:

  • 300ml full-fat milk, plus 2 tbsp more
  • 50g butter
  • 500g strong bread flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 75g caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 7g yeast
  • 1 egg
  • 75g sultanas
  • 50g mixed peel
  • zest 1 orange
  • 1 apple
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the cross:

  • 75g plain flour
  • water

For the glaze:

3 tbsp apricot jam

Method:

  1. Bring the milk to the boil, then remove from the heat and add the butter. Leave to cool slightly.
  2. Put the flour, salt, sugar and yeast into a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Pour in the warm milk and butter mixture and then add the egg. Using a wooden spoon, mix well until you have a sticky dough.
  3. Tip the dough on to a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 mins until smooth and elastic. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise for 1 hr or until doubled in size.
  4. With the dough still in the bowl tip in the sultanas, mixed peel, orange zest, apple (peeled and chopped up) and cinnamon. Knead into the dough. Leave to rise for 1 hr, or until doubled in size, again covered by some plastic wrap.
  5. Divide the dough into 15 even pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball on a lightly floured work surface. Arrange the buns on two baking trays lined with baking paper, leaving enough space for the dough to expand. Cover with a clean tea towel and then set aside to prove for 1 hr.
  6. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan forced. Mix the flour with about 5 tbsp water to make the paste for the cross – add the water 1 tbsp at a time, so you add just enough for a thick paste. Spoon mixture into a piping bag and pipe a line along each row of buns, then repeat in the other direction to create crosses. Bake for 20 mins on the middle shelf of the oven, until golden brown.
  7. Slowly heat the apricot jam to melt and brush over the top of the warm buns and leave to cool.

These are amazing hot cross buns. If the kids don’t like mixed peel, substitute with extra sultanas.

Will you be baking hot cross buns this Easter? Please add your comment below.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

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  • These look really good but mine never turn out that great.

    Reply

  • The first and last time I baked Hot Cross Buns was back in the early 90’s. It took me about 5 hours or more. My husband came home from work and had one and said to me “Nice Scones”………. Scones I can make in less that an hour. Never again. Never ever again ha ha

    Reply

  • They look so nice, yum yum!

    Reply

  • If there was more than one in my household I would try making these as they look great.

    Reply

  • I don’t typically enjoy hot cross buns, but if I make them myself I could sub the fruit with chocolate!

    Reply

  • love the glaze on these

    Reply

  • Revisiting this recipe. Made them last year and they were awesome.! So much better than the store bought ones.

    Reply

  • My daughter is working at a bakery so we have been eating lots of hot cross buns. The glaze looks amazing on these ones.

    Reply

  • Sounds good. I personally wouldn’t add the orange zest as I don’t like eating peel from fruits that we usually throw away. But the rest sounds delicious

    Reply

  • i love hot cross buns and have them toasted for breakfast and with some cheese for lunch

    Reply

  • Thanks for the recipe – these really do look good enough to eat.

    Reply

  • BAKE all year round!

    Reply

  • They look so good but I am not a very good cook so might just skip this one haha

    Reply

  • Nope, fraid not! Cooking is really not a pleasant activity for me – eating on the other hand, that’s a no brainer! But seriously, I have so little time as it is , even with planning I struggle to get through the must do tasks of the day, and I honestly dont think with my skills the result would be worth the time.

    Reply

  • These look delicious but I am not a good baker. Would love one of my friends to make these but they are so cheap at the shops. My children love the chocolate ones from coles and aldi do the mini ones, perfect for lunchboxes


    • True, buying them at the shops will turn out cheaper than making them yourself

    Reply

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