Britsh recipes: Hot cross buns ( ideal for Easter celebrations)

Hot Cross Buns

These are a typical and traditional Easter bun in Britain and traditionaly eaten at breakfast on Good Friday.
The tradition of eating sweet foods to Celebrate the arrival of spring dates back to the anchient Greek times but the tradition of the Hot cross buns is created by the British who made these with a cross trough the middle of the buns to mark the crusifixion of Jesus Christ.
These are sweet buns with sultanas, cinnamon and orange zest much loved by the British and others over the globe.
Eaten over Easter it makes a real treat from all to enjoy.


Serves: 15 Buns

Total time: 50 minutes



Ingredients:

For your buns

- 300 ml of milk
- 50 grams of butter
- 500 grams of flour ( prefered strong bread flower)
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 75 grams sugar
- 1 tablespoon of oil ( prefered sunflour oil)
- 7 grams of fast acting yeast ( 1 sachet)
- 1 egg Beaten
- 75 grams sultanas
- 50 grams of mixed peel
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 apple, peeled,cored and chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

For the cross:

- 75 grams of flour
- 2 tablespoons of milk

For the Glaze:

- 3 Tablespoons of Apricot jam


Step 1:

Bring the milk to the boil, remove from the heat and add the butter.
Leave to cool until it reaches hand temperature. Put the flour, salt, sugar and yeast into a bowl.
Make a well in the centre. Pour in the warm milk and butter mixture, then add the egg.
Using a wooden spoon, mix well, then bring everything together with your hands until you have a sticky dough.


Step 2:


Tip on to a lightly floured surface and knead by holding the dough with one hand and stretching it with the heal of the other hand, then folding itback on itself. Repeat for 5 mins until smooth and elastic. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hr or until doubled in size and a finger pressed into it leaves a dent.



Step 3:

                                      
With the dough still in the bowl, tip in the sultanas, mixed peel, orange zest, apple and cinnamon. Knead into the dough, making sureeverything is well distributed. Leave to rise for 1 hr more, or until doubled in size, again covered by some well-oiled cling film to stop the dough getting a crust.  
                                 

Step 4:            

Divide the dough into 15 even pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball on a lightly floured work surface. Arrange the buns on one or two lined baking trays lined, leaving enough space for the dough to expand. Cover (don't wrap) with more oiled cling film, or a clean tea towel, then set aside to prove for 1 hr more.  







Step 5:

Heat oven to 220C/gasmark 7. Mix the flour with about 5 tbsp water to make the paste for the cross - add the water 1 tbsp at a time, so you add just enough for a thick paste. Spoon into a piping bag with a small nozzle. Pipe a line along each row of buns, then repeat in the other direction to create crosses. Bake for 20 mins on the middle shelf of the oven, until golden brown.

Step 6:

Gently heat the apricot jam till it melts, then sieve to get rid of any chunks.
While the jam is still warm, brush over the top of the warm buns and leave to cool.     

Now in Britain they would say "enjoy your meal."

Where can we find Great Britain in the world:                  

 

 

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