We are not keen on the supermarkets' playing around with chocolate or sticky toffee versions of hot cross buns. It's quite possible that these are tasty treats, but they ain't hot cross buns in my book.
When it comes to Easter bread based rolls, we prefer the simplicity of a spiced fruit bun.
It's hard to come up with a totally original version of a traditional recipe - something of an contradiction really - but it's fun to play around with the classics and add your own take.
Of course, this all comes back to learning the basics in the first place and I started making hot cross buns with a recipe from one of my old and tatty faithfuls.........
..... but as my culinary confidence grew, I began to add a few tweaks of my own.
Here is my latest version of hot cross buns, not too far away from the original, because sometimes tradition is best.
Buns
1lb
bread flour
1tsp
dried yeast
1
tsp salt
½
pt milk
5
allspice berries
Pinch
of saffron
Pared
zest of 1 orange
2
oz butter
1
egg
6
oz sultanas or 4 oz sultanas and 2 oz candied lemon peel
Crosses
A few strips of left over short crust pastry - I always keep my offcuts in the freezer for topping tarts etc.
Alternatively make a paste of flour and water, with a teaspoon of sugar thrown in.
Glaze
1
Tblsp milk
1
Tblsp water
1
Tblsp sugar
Put the milk into a saucepan and warm gently with the saffron, allspice and orange zest. When it reaches a boil, turn off heat leave
for an hour to infuse the flavours into the milk.
Add
the butter and warm through slowly until the butter has just melted.
Put
the sugar, yeast and salt in a large mixing bowl and strain the milk mixture
over.
Swish
round and leave for 15 minutes.
Add
the flour, sultanas (and peel) and the egg.
Mix
well with a wooden spoon, then turn out and knead for a good 5 minutes.
Return
to a clean bowl and cover with cling film or a damp tea towel.
Leave
to prove for an hour
Then
you can put the whole lot into a greased 2lb loaf tin to make a simple loaf, or divide into rolls and line up two by two in one or two loaf tins
or divide into 12 -
16 buns - you decide how big you want them - and place, well spaced, on a griddle plate.
Cover
and prove for a further 45 minutes.
Paint
the tops with water and place a pastry cross on each bun OR cut a cross into each one and drizzle in your flour paste with a teaspoon.
Bake
buns for 15 - 20 mins at 200ºC or loaf for 35 - 40 mins at 180ºC
Put the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to the boil.
Paint
the glaze over the tops of the still warm buns.
Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2016 ©
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