| Difficulty: | |
| Prep time: | 20 min |
| Cook time: | 20 min |
| Total time: | 40 min |
Hot Cross Buns freshly out of the oven with a generous spread of real butter are always a winner. Not just for Easter, a good hot cross bun recipe is perfect to bake up at any time of the year as a delicious fruit bun.
Did You Know?
There isn't one clear explanation for why hot cross buns make their way to our table around Easter. Some theories rest in Christian symbolism, though there are several stories (and even some tall tales) about their origins. Some talk about hot cross buns (which may have at one time been called Good Friday buns) being baked and eaten solely on Good Friday, while others mentioned them being eaten throughout Lent.
Here are a few of the stories that are told about hot cross buns.
A 12th-century monk introduced the cross to the bun.
The origins of hot cross buns may go back as far as the 12th century. According to the story, an Anglican monk baked the buns and marked them with a cross in honor of Good Friday. Over time they gained popularity, and eventually became a symbol of Easter weekend.
4 1/2 cups plain flour
2 x 7g dried yeast
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 1/2 tspn mixed spice
pinch salt
1 1/2 cup currants
40g butter
300ml milk
2 eggs lightly beaten
4 tbspn water
1/3 cup water
4 tbspn Apricot Jam
Preheat oven to 170C.
Combine four cups of plain flour, yeast, sugar, mixed spice, salt and currants in a large bowl.
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and add milk. Heat for one minute, or until lukewarm. Add warm milk mixture and eggs to currant mixture.
Use a flat-bladed knife to mix the dough until it almost comes together and then use clean hands to finish mixing it so a soft dough forms.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead for 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth.
Place into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for one to one and a half hours, or until dough doubles in size.
Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Punch dough down to its original size. Knead for thirty seconds on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Divide into twelve even portions. Shape each portion into a ball.
Place balls onto a lined tray, about one centimetre apart. Cover with oiled cling film. Set aside in a warm, draught free place for thirty minutes, or until buns double in size.
Preheat fan-forced oven to 170C.
MAKE FLOUR PASTE - Mix half a cup of plain flour and four tablespoons of water in a small bowl until smooth, adding a little more water if the paste is too thick. Spoon into a small snap-lock bag and snip off one corner to create a piping bag. Pipe flour paste over the tops of buns to form crosses. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until buns are cooked through.
MAKE GLAZE - Place water and jam into a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until jam dissolves. Bring to a boil for three to four minutes. Brush warm glaze over warm hot cross buns.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
