Traditional hot cross buns
You’ll wish every day was Easter with these traditional, sultana, currant and spice flavoured, hot cross buns. A favourite with everyone, especially scrumptious served straight from the oven!
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
- 6 teaspoons compressed yeast*
- 1 teaspoon flour
- 1 teaspoon Chelsea White Sugar
- 1 1/4 cup milk, scalded
- 4 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 60g butter
- 1/4 cup White Sugar, extra
- 1 cup sultanas or sultanas/currants/peel
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup flour (cross paste)
- cold water (cross paste)
- 1 tablespoon Chelsea Caster Sugar (glaze)
- 1 tablespoon water (glaze)
- 1 teaspoon gelatine (glaze)
Method
Dough
- Crumble yeast into a small bowl, add the teaspoon each of flour and sugar. Mix in the milk which has been cooled slightly, cover and leave in warm place for 10 mins.
- Sift the flour, salt and spice into a large bowl; rub in the butter and add the sugar and sultanas.
- Add the beaten egg to the sponged yeast mixture and beat into the flour mixture until a soft dough is formed.
- Knead until light and smooth and no longer sticky.
- Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a clean cloth and allow to stand in a warm place until double in bulk (about 40 mins).
- Turn onto a lightly floured surface, punch down and knead dough until smooth and elastic.
- Divide dough into 16 even-sized pieces - knead each into a round shape. Place on a greased slide tray 1cm apart. Cover and stand in a warm place until well risen (about 10-15 mins).
Cross Paste
- Mix sufficient cold water into the flour to make a soft paste and pipe a cross on each bun.
- Then bake at 220°C conventional (200°C fan forced) for about 20 minutes.
Glaze
- Heat the caster sugar, water and gelatine in a saucepan and simmer 1 minute.
- When the buns are cooked glaze them with the gelatine mixture while still hot.