Traditional British Hot Cross Buns (Printer-Friendly)

Delicious spiced fruit buns with traditional crosses, perfect for Easter celebrations and tea time, served warm with butter.

# What You’ll Need to Cook:

→ Dough Ingredients

01 - 450g strong white bread flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1 1/2 teaspoons mixed spice
04 - 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
05 - 50g butter
06 - 50g caster sugar
07 - 1 1/2 teaspoon easy-blend dried yeast
08 - 210ml tepid milk
09 - 1 free-range egg
10 - 100g mixed dried fruit
11 - 25g cut mixed citrus peel

→ For the Crosses

12 - 50g plain flour
13 - Water to mix

→ For the Glaze

14 - 30ml milk
15 - 25g caster sugar

# Steps to Prepare:

01 - Sieve the flour, salt, ground mixed spice, and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl, then rub in the butter using your fingertips. Make a well in the center of the mixture, then add the sugar and yeast.
02 - Beat the egg and add it to the flour mixture with the tepid milk. Mix together to form a soft, pliable dough.
03 - Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Carefully work the mixed dried fruit and mixed peel into the dough until well combined. Knead lightly for 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
04 - Shape the dough into a ball and place it into a buttered/greased mixing bowl. Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside in a warm place for one hour to prove.
05 - Turn out the proved dough onto a lightly floured surface, knock back the dough, shape it into a ball, and return it to the bowl. Cover with the tea towel and set aside for a further 30 minutes to rise.
06 - Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into 12 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Flatten slightly into a bun shape using your palms. Cover with a tea towel and set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes.
07 - Mix the plain flour and water into a stiff paste, thin enough to pipe. For the glaze, heat the milk and sugar together until the sugar dissolves. Set both aside.
08 - Place the buns onto buttered/greased baking trays, then enclose the tray(s) in a large oiled polythene bag. Tie the end tightly to prevent air from entering and set aside in a warm place for 40 minutes to rise.
09 - Preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C Fan/475°F/Gas mark 8.
10 - When risen, remove the buns from the bag, pipe a cross on each using the flour paste, and bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown and hollow when tapped.
11 - As soon as the buns are removed from the oven, brush them with the milk and sugar glaze, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
12 - Serve warm, split and spread with butter, or toast them before serving. The buns can be frozen for up to 3 months; allow 6 hours to defrost before serving.

# Extra Cooking Tips:

01 - If you have a bread machine, you can initiate the dough preparation to the second proofing stage. Add dried fruit in the final 5 minutes of kneading or when instructed by the machine.
02 - The buns freeze well for up to 3 months. Use the defrost setting on modern toasters to reheat buns from frozen.

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