We couldn’t leave for Easter weekend without sharing with you our Hot X Bun recipe! We love the extra spices in this recipe and as they are traditionally eaten on Good Friday what better excuse to get baking!
3 cups all-purpose flour
1⁄3 cup stone-ground whole-wheat bread flour
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
2⁄3 cup currants
1⁄3 cup golden raisins
¼ cup chopped mixed peel
a 0.6-oz cake compressed yeast
1 ¼ cups tepid milk
1 large egg, beaten
pastry cross
1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ cup milk mixed with
3 tablespoons sugar, to glaze
2 baking sheets, greased
makes 12 buns
Put the flours, sugar, salt, and spices in a large bowl and mix well. Add the butter and rub into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Mix in the dried fruit and mixed peel, then make a well in the center of the mixture.
Crumble the yeast into a small bowl, pour in about half the milk, and stir until completely dispersed. Add to the well in the flour with the rest of the milk and the egg. Gradually draw in the flour to make a soft but not sticky dough. Work in a little extra flour or milk if necessary.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes. Return the dough to the bowl, then cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 11 ½ hours.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, then punch down. Divide into 12 neat balls and set well apart on the prepared baking sheets. Slip the sheets into large plastic bags, inflate slightly, and let rise as before until doubled in size, 45–60 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F.
To make the pastry cross, put the flour, butter, and sugar in a bowl and rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until you get coarse crumbs. Stir in 1–2 tablespoons cold water to make a firm dough. Roll the dough out thinly.
Uncover the risen buns, brush the pastry strips with a little water, then stick in a cross on top of the buns. Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until golden brown. Heat the milk-sugar glaze in a pan until dissolved, then boil for 1 minute. Glaze the buns as soon as they come out of the oven.
For more of your favourite classic recipes, check out Traditional Pub Grub.