Easter recipe: hot cross buns

If you or the kids aren't keen on dried fruit, you could try another variation which is called 'coffee cake variation', or leave out the fruit and spice altogther for a savoury bun.

Makes approximately 25
Prep time: 2 hours
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

INGREDIENTS FOR YEAST ROLLS
300ml warm milk
50 grams butter
50 grams sugar
1 tsp salt

20 grams dried yeast
50ml warm water

500 grams flour

HOT CROSS BUN VARIATION
100 grams currants
100 grams sultanas
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

COFFEE CAKE VARIATION
100 grams brown sugar
4 tblspns flour
50 grams walnuts, chopped
2 tblspns butter, melted

METHOD
Add the warm milk to the butter, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl; cool until lukewarm.

Sprinkle the yeast into lukewarm water; stir; mix the yeast and water inot the milk mixture.

Blend in one-third of the flour. Add the remainder of the flour slowly to make a moderately soft dough which leaves the bottom and sides of the bowl (the dough should not be sticky).

If making the hot cross buns variation, add currants, sultanas, cinnamon and nutmeg.

If using an electric mixer no kneading is required, otherwise knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is satiny and springy to the touch.

Put the ball of dough into a lightly greased bowl; lightly grease the surface of the dough. Cover with a damp cloth or cling film and leave to rise until doubled in bulk (about one hour).

Punch down and shape into desired shapes; allow to rise again on greased trays until bulk is doubled (about 30 minutes).

If making hot cross buns, decorate the tops with half a cup of flour and six teaspoons of water mixed together (applied using a plastic or piping bag).

If making the coffee cake variation, mix together the brown sugar, flour, walnuts and melted butter; sprinkle over dough buns or transfer dough into a greased cake tin and sprinkle over sugar and walnut mixture.

Bake at 200C for 15-20 minutes until the rolls are golden brown.

Posted by Angela Bishop on March 24, 2015