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Recipe of the Week - Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns are traditionally linked with Easter celebrations. Traditionally, they were baked and eaten on Good Friday. The dried fruit in the buns is similar to the dried fruit grown throughout Mesopotamia; it would have been dried on racks in the sun to preserve it. The oats in this recipe add fibre to the buns and keep them moist. The sweet, spiced bun mix can be adapted to other sweet dough recipes such as those for scrolls or a sweet plait. Our fabulous Year 11 Food Studies class made these during the week. 

BUNS 

40 grams butter

approximately 300 millilitres warm water 

1⁄4 cup quick oats 

2 1⁄2 cups bread flour

1 tablespoon dried yeast

2 teaspoons bread improver

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon mixed spice

2 tablespoons skim milk powder

1⁄2 cup sultanas

1 egg, beaten

1⁄2 teaspoon oil 

PIPING FOR THE CROSS 

3 tablespoons plain flour 

2 tablespoons caster sugar 

1 1⁄2 tablespoons water 

BUN GLAZE 

1⁄4 cup sugar

1⁄4 cup water

1 teaspoon gelatine

1 teaspoon mixed spice 

METHOD 

Making the dough 

Melt the butter in 100 millilitres of the water in a small saucepan. 

Bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, add the oats and stir gently. 

Sift all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. 

Add the sultanas to the flour mixture. 

Add the butter, oats and water mixture, egg and oil to the dry ingredients, along with enough of the remaining warm water to mix to a soft dough. 

Cover with cling wrap and leave to prove in a warm place until doubled in size. 

Turn onto a floured board and knead lightly. 

 Divide the dough into 12 even pieces and knead and shape each into a bun. Place on a greased oven tray. 

Cover loosely with cling wrap and prove in a warm place for 10 minutes or until doubled in size. 

Making the piping mixture and baking 

Make the piping mixture by mixing the flour and sugar together with the water until a smooth, thick paste. Pipe a cross on the top of each bun. 

Bake in the preheated oven at 200°C for 10 minutes. 

Reduce the temperature to 180°C and continue cooking for a further 5–10 minutes or until golden brown. 

Making the glaze 

Make the bun glaze by combining all of the ingredients in a small saucepan. Stir over heat and bring to the boil. 

Brush the glaze over the buns. 

MAKES 12 HOT CROSS BUNS