Easter Special Recipe:

Hot Cross Buns

‘One a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns’ may be more familiar to people, especially in Asian countries, than the famous Easter delicacy, hot cross buns. That phrase belongs to an English nursery rhyme, which is a street hoot that used to be sounded during Easter. It’s also a musical reminder of the recipe presented here: classic hot cross buns. Hot cross buns might look complicated, but they're fairly simple to make. Once you have made it at home, by yourself, the shop-bought version will genuinely be difficult to go back to. This special Easter recipe for hot cross buns produces glazed buns that are big, fluffy, and fragrant – the exact kind you get from a good bakery – with a crumb that is soft without being gluey, and a crust that is golden and shiny from the apricot jam glaze. The dough is made rich with butter, milk, and egg, and spices like cinnamon and allspice, with sultanas and orange zest adding more flavour. The trademark ‘cross’ on the hot buns is made from a simple thick paste of flour and water piped over the top before baking. The glaze is applied immediately after the buns come out of the oven. Three methods are provided in this recipe: stand mixer (the easiest and recommended), hand-kneading (10 minutes of effort), and a completely no-knead version for those who want the simplest possible route. The dough can also be shaped the day before and proved overnight in the refrigerator, making these hot cross buns entirely realistic to bake fresh for Easter morning without waking at dawn.