Hot cross buns

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220ºC.

2. For the bun wash, put 600ml water and 450g sugar into a pan and boil for 2 minutes. Brush over the buns as soon as they come out of the oven to give them a sweet, sticky glaze. This makes a large quantity of bun wash but it keeps very well.

3. To make the hot cross buns, dissolve the yeast with 1 tablespoon of the sugar in a little tepid milk.

4. Put the flour into a bowl, rub in the butter, add the cinnamon, nutmeg, mixed spice, a pinch of salt and the remainder of the sugar. Mix well. Whisk the eggs and add to the milk. Make a well in the centre of the flour, add the yeast and most of the liquid and mix to a soft dough, adding a little more milk if necessary.

5. Cover and leave to rest for 2 or 3 minutes then knead by hand or in a food processor until smooth. Add the currants, sultanas and mixed peel and continue to knead until the dough is shiny. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place until it doubles in size.

6. 'Knock back', by kneading for 3 or 4 minutes, rest for a few minutes. Divide the mixture into 14 balls, each weighing about 50g. Knead each slightly and shape into buns. Place on a lightly-floured tray. Egg wash and leave to rise.

7. If using shortcrust, arrange a cross of pastry on each one. Leave to rise until double in size. Then egg wash a second time carefully.

8. We tend to decorate with what we call a 'liquid cross'. To make this, mix the flour, melted butter and water together to form a thick liquid. Fill into a paper piping bag and pipe a liquid cross on top of each bun.

9. Bake for five minutes and then reduce the heat to 200ºC for a further 10 minutes or until golden. Leave to cool on a wire rack. Split in two and serve with butter.

10. Alternatively, brush each one with bun wash while still warm.

11. To make a hot cross bun loaf: Brush the bottom and sides of the loaf tin (13x20cm (5x8inch)) with oil. Make the dough in the usual way — knock back. Roll 8 50g balls of dough and arrange in the tin. Egg wash, cover and allow to rise for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 230°C, just before baking brush with egg wash, pipe a liquid cross on each bun. Bake for 10 minutes at 230°C reduce temperature to 190°C for a further 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven, paint with the bun wash. Cool on a wire rack and pull apart and eat slathered in butter.

12. To make a hot cross bun tear and share: Brush the base and sides of a 23cm round spring form tin with oil. Arrange 12-14, 50g balls of dough almost side by side in the tin, egg wash and allow to rise in a warm place until double in size. Egg wash again, pipe a liquid cross onto the top of each bun. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 190°C for a further 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with bun wash while still warm. Cool on a wire rack.