Hot Cross Bun recipe needed, please

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Delia never works, so I need a fail proof recipe, please. I have nigella's (Feast) but I don't know if it is any good.

TIA

I have made the nigella ones and they were nice but they are never and soft as bakers ones. Also with nigella there is all kinds of faffing infusing milk with caradom. Nice if you are in a baking mood - irritating as hell if you are not!

Oh and if you put a tray of water in the bottom of the oven it creates steam and they are softer.

Try this, I always find his recipes work.

Fab, thank you both.

I'll do the water thing but no chance with the cardamom, I'm afraid as I don't have any. I bet it smells lovely if you do that though.

You can't get mixed peel over here so they won't be quite right anyway, but at least I'll have tried.

mixed peel is not v. nice imo

Filly has a healthy wholemeal sugar free one but she won't give it to me after I once insulted the honour of hot cross buns in general and it served me right

we could get a petition up

Just so you know, this is divine!! If you get time.

Oh yes, a campaign sounds good, Franny. Where is Filly? I suspect she's a bit busy. Perhaps you could take advantage of her (presumed) sleep deprived state and trick her into giving us the recipe?

I haven't seen tinned madarins for years, rantinghousewife but the bread looks interesting. Will browse that site when DS is in bed.

franny, take the paul hollywood recipe, leave out the sugar and use half wholemeal. or all wholemeal and half sugar. just add a little more liquid. bread is soft when it has either a high water or oil content. leave them to prove with oiled clingfilm perhaps?

flour and water paste

Thanks fishie - that sounds good.

Sainsbury's is all very well unless you live in a country where there are no Sainsbury's and where they do not know what Hot Cross Buns are. And homemade ones (except Delia's) are delicious.

ur, here is king arthur's take on it. their baking recipes are usually entirely fail proof. they do not understand about the cross bit though, icing eh.

That's an interesting recipe, fishie. But definitely no to the icing cross. It must be flour and water!

i'm pondering this

a bit fiddly but i expect glorious results. although it is rather cold here so bread isn't rising well.

I'll be doing this one.

Hot cross buns

200 ml milk
50g caster sugar
1 level tbsp dried yeast
450g strong plain flour
½ tsp salt
1 small-medium egg, beaten
50g melted butter
115g raisins
50g chopped mixed peel
1 heaped tsp mixed spice to get hot cross buns.

Warm the milk to hand-hot.
Stir in a teaspoon of the sugar, sprinkle in the dried yeast and leave for about 10 minutes until it froths.
Meanwhile, sift the flour, salt, the remaining sugar and spice into a warm mixing bowl.
Make a well in the centre and stir in the yeast liquid, egg, melted butter, raisins and peel.
Mix everything together to form a soft dough and knead it on a floured surface until smooth.
Shape it into a round, replace it in a bowl, cover with a cloth and leave it in a warm place to rise.
It should take 40 to 50 minutes.
When the dough has doubled in size, set the oven at 200*C, and line one or more baking trays with a parchment.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface, knead it lightly and divide it into 12 pieces.
Shape them into slightly flattened rounds and put them on the lined baking trays.
Cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place to prove for 20 minutes or until the buns look puffy.
Slash the top of each bun with a knife to form a cross.
Brush them with milk and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Am doing them now, Cali - well, making the dough now and leaving overnight. I'll report back tomorrow.

Converting to cups seems to make everything go wrong. I like the idea of ingredients in a jar. Will post recipe if they work. DS was 'helping' and we had a bit of an incident so I have to start again

They don't look good Califrau. Just going in the oven now.

They are fabulous!

Here's the recipe from Feast. I didn't do the cardamom bit and used half white/ half wholemeal flour.

Hot Cross Buns

Dough
150ml milk
50g butter
zest of 1 orange
1 clove
2 cardamom pods
400g bread flour
1 packet easy blend yeast (7g)
125g mixed dried fruit
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 egg

Egg Wash
1 egg, beaten with a little milk

For the crosses
3 tablespoons plain flour
½ tablespoon caster sugar
2 tablespoons water

Sugar Glaze
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 tablespoon boiling water

Heat the milk, butter, orange zest, clove & cardamom pods in a saucepan until the butter melts, then leave to infuse.

Measure the flour, yeast & dried fruit into a bowl & add the spices. When the infused milk has reached blood temperature take out the clove & cardamom pods & beat in the egg. Pour this liquid into the bowl of dry ingredients.

Knead the dough either by hand or with a machine with a dough hook. If it is too dry add a little more milk or water. Keep kneading until you have silky, elastic dough but bear in mind that the dried fruit will stop this from being exactly satin smooth. Form into a ball & place in a buttered bowl covered with cling film, & leave to prove overnight in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 220c. Take the dough out of the fridge & let it come to room temperature.

Punch the dough down, and knead it again until it is smooth & elastic. Divide into 16 balls & shape into smooth round buns.

Sit the buns on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Make sure they are quite snug together but not touching. Using the back of an eating knife, score the tops of the buns with the imprint of a cross. Cover with a tea towel & leave to prove again for about 45 minutes ? they should have risen & almost joined up.

Brush the buns with the egg wash, then mix the flour, sugar & water into a smooth thick paste. Using a teaspoon, dribble two lines over the buns in the indent to make a cross, then bake for 15-20 minutes.

When they come out of the oven, mix the sugar & boiling water, and brush each bun to make then sweet & shiny.