A Hot Cross Bun Recipe That Works

After “suffering” though hot cross buns from Panera Bakery that had icing(!) on them, mum and dad sent me this recipe from NZ. In the past I’ve used the Edmond’s Cookbook hot cross buns recipe and was disappointed – they came out like little rocks. I am going to try this, but I thought I’d share it too. Let me know if it works for you!

Ingredients

· 2 cups self-raising flour

· 1 tsp baking powder

· 1 tsp ground cinnamon

· 1 tsp mixed spice

· 50g cold butter, chopped into small cubes

· 2 tbsp caster sugar

· 1/3 cup sultanas

· 3/4 cup milk

· 1/2 cup plain flour

· 1/3 cup water

· 2 tbsp apricot jam

Here’s how

1. Preheat the oven to 220C. Line an oven tray with non-stick baking paper. Sift the flour, baking powder, mixed spice and ground cinnamon into a large bowl. Rub in the butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar and sultanas. Make a well in the centre. Stir in the milk using a knife and mix until the dough starts to form beads.

2. Gather the dough together with floured hands and transfer to a lightly floured bench top. Gently press the dough out to 2cm thickness, then use a 7cm cutter or the rim of a glass to press out rounds of the dough. Gather together any off-cuts and press out again to 2cm thickness for more rounds. Place the rounds close together in neat lines on the tray.

3. Mix the flour and water in a small bowl until it forms a smooth paste. Carefully spoon the paste into a small plastic bag, then snip off the corner to form a small nozzle for a piping bag. Pipe crosses over each bun.

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the buns are risen and golden on top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

5. Heat the apricot jam with 2 teaspoons of water until smooth. Brush the glaze over the buns, then set aside to dry. Serve the warm buns with lashings of butter and a cup of tea.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens, April 2001 (tried to find a link, couldn’t come up with one).

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