Hollywood Hot Cross Buns
I wanted to go back to the way we used to make Hot Cross Buns, using real fruit rather than all dried. The result is this juicy bun – the kids will love it, and adults will too!
Ingredients
- 500 g strong white flour plus extra for dusting
- teaspoons salt
- 75 g caster sugar
- 25 g yeast
- 300 ml milk and water mixed
- 60 g mandarin segments chopped
- 60 g peach slices chopped
- 60 g apple slices chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 60 g apricot jam warmed, to glaze
For the crosses
- 200 ml water
- 200 g flour
- 2 medium eggs
Instructions
- Put the flour, salt, sugar and yeast into a bowl.
- Slowly add enough of the milk and water mix to achieve a pliable dough.
- Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead well for 5 minutes, then put the dough back in the bowl and leave to rise for 1 hour.
- Incorporate the mandarins, peaches, apples and cinnamon into the dough and leave to rise for 1 hour.
- Line a baking tray.
- Divide the dough into 75 g/3 oz pieces and roll each into a ball.
- Put them on the baking tray and leave to rest for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
- To make the crosses, whisk together the water, flour and eggs to a smooth paste and pipe a cross on top of each bun.
- Bake the buns for 25 minutes until golden brown.
- Take out of the oven and brush them with warmed apricot jam.
- Serve immediately.
