Between the public holidays, copious amounts of chocolate and tasty hot cross buns, Easter is a pretty good time. I have however noticed that New World supermarkets aren’t keen to let you tap into that festive fun without a touch of daylight robbery.
Hayley’s Hot no-cross Buns
¾ cup of warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp yeast or 2 tbsp surebake yeast mix
Dry ingredients
3 cups flour
1 tbsp milk powder
¼ cup sugar
¾ cup raisins and ¼ cup dried cranberries (dried apricots, sultanas or cake fruit mix will all work)
2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
Wet ingredients
1 egg + 1 egg white (beaten together)
Glaze
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp water
Put the warm water, teaspoon of sugar and yeast into a bowl, mix and leave to go frothy for approximately 5-10 minutes. Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl, add egg mix and yeast mix to the dry ingredients and mix with a knife until combined. If it is too dry add a little more water, or too wet add flour. Form the dough into a ball and place back in the bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave somewhere warm to double in size (about 20-40 mins). Punch the air out of the dough and divide evenly into 12 portions, roll each portion into a ball and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. It’s okay if the balls of dough touch (it will make them look like the ones you buy at the supermarket). Cover them again with the tea towel and let them rise somewhere warm for about 40 minutes. Mix the egg yolk and water together and brush the tops of the buns with it (if you don’t have a brush just use your finger tips) . Bake in a 190 degree oven for about 10 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, butter and enjoy.
You can put a cross on top of yours if you please. I don’t because it doesn’t add to the taste and I am not really one for religious tradition, just sweet eats. Before you bake them simply mark the cross on the top of each bun with a butterknife, mix together about ¼ cup flour and 2 tbsp of water to make a white paste and drizzle along the cross indent which you have made.