Easter Special:  Hot cross buns (Find bonus recipe)

One a penny, two a penny…

You know the rest, don’t you?

Hot cross buns are steeped deep in Christian tradition. It’s said that in the times of the House of Tudor, which begin in late 1400s, fruit buns were something of a specialty.

What’s the big fuss? You may ask this. They are after all almost just flour and water. True, but simple things are often the most overlooked. So this Easter weekend, we’ll take you down (mostly true) story lane.  All we need are flour, water and an appetite for history.

The cross on top of the bun is a symbol of the crucifixion. That’s why the significance for Easter.

The origin story goes like this. It may date back to the 12^th Century AD. An Anglican monk baked them, and marked a cross on top in remembrance of Good Friday.

By the Elizabethan times in the 1600s, they had become popular all over England. There were even laws that tried to enforce citizens to bake them only during important times of the year.

Legend has it that hot cross buns made on the Easter weeked never go bad through the year. Give it a go?

There are superstitions surrounding them too. Buns baked on Good Friday and hung in a home ward off evil spirits. They also are said to protect sailors from shipwreck while at sea.

Split a hot cross bun and share it with a friend, they say, and you shall have a special bond through the year.

Ever tried making your own hot cross buns? We’re going to give you a helping hand.

Hot Cross Buns

INGREDIENTS

• Slim Milk : 200gms
• Yeast : 25gms
• Flour : 250gms

Mix all the ingredients together in a clean bowl and ferment it for 40 minutes or until double in size.

OTHER INGREDIENTS

• Butter : 200gms
• Sugar: 100gms
• Salt: 6gms
• Egg :125gms
• Flour: 250gms
• Dried currants: 125gms
• Raisins: 60gms
• Candied peel: 30gms

METHOD-

1) Cream butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Add in the egg, one at a time.

2) Add in the fermented sponge and mix thoroughly

3) Add in the flour and form a dough .

4) Add in the dried currants, raisins and candied peel, make a dough and ferment it for 40 minutes or until double in size.

5) Knock back the dough, shape it and ferment it for another hour or until double in size.

6) Once doubles in size, give it an egg wash and bake it in a preheated oven – 200 degrees for about 15 minutes or until done.

7) Glaze with apricot jam mixed with water.