Tear-and-share ultimate hot cross buns
Makes: 12
Prep time: 45 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Myles New
Tear-and-share ultimate hot cross buns
An easy prep-ahead recipe, ready to bake for the best Easter breakfast. Serve warm and thickly buttered.
Makes: 12
Prep time: 45 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
313Kcal
Fat
6gr
Saturates
3gr
Carbs
56gr
Sugars
21gr
Fibre
2gr
Protein
7gr
Salt
0.6gr
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Tamsin Burnett-Hall
Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Ingredients
- 500g strong white bread flour, plus extra to knead
- grated zest of 1 lemon or orange
- 1½ tbsp ground mixed spice
- ½ tbsp ground cinnamon
- a good grating of whole nutmeg or a pinch of ground cloves
- 1 x 7g sachet fast-action dried yeast
- 75g granulated sugar
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 60g butter, diced
- 225ml whole milk
- 1 medium egg, beaten
- 175g mixed dried fruit
- 1 eating apple, peeled, cored and chopped into 5mm dice
- 1 eating apple, peeled, cored and chopped into 5mm dice
For the crosses
- 60g plain flour
To glaze
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- pinch of ground cinnamon
Step by step
- Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl and stir in the zest, spices, yeast, sugar and salt. Mix together and make a well in the centre.
- Melt the butter in a small pan, remove from the heat and add the milk – this should give a tepid mixture that won’t be too hot for the yeast. Pour the buttery milk and the beaten egg into the dry ingredients and bring together as a dough. You want it to be soft but not too sticky.
- Tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth and springy (or for 5 minutes on a low speed in a mixer with a dough hook). Knead in the dried fruit and apple until evenly distributed.
- Lightly oil the bowl and return the dough to the bowl. Cover and leave to rise for 1½-2 hours or until doubled in size.
- Punch the dough down to knock it back, then divide into 12 balls, about 100g each. Line a baking tray with baking paper and arrange the buns in a ‘flower’, with 3 balls in the centre and 9 around the outside, with the buns almost but not quite touching. Try to poke any bits of fruit that are sticking out back into the dough, so they don’t catch. Cover with a damp clean tea towel and leave to prove for 15 minutes at room temperature, then transfer to the fridge overnight (if baking straight away, then let them prove for 30 minutes before baking).
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. For the crosses, mix the plain flour with a tiny pinch of salt and 4 tablespoons of cold water to give a paste with a good piping consistency. Transfer to a disposable piping bag (or a plastic food bag) and snip off a 1cm opening. Remove the buns from the fridge and pipe a cross on top of each. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool
- To glaze, heat the sugar with 2 tablespoons of water until dissolved, increase the heat and simmer for 1-2 minutes until slightly syrupy. Add the lemon juice and cinnamon and brush the mixture over the still-warm buns. The buns will keep for 4-5 days in an airtight container (split and toast to refresh) or can be frozen.
