Or in my house they’re Not Cross Buns because they induce delighted good humour and I can never be bothered to put the crosses on top. Even cross-less, these buns are delicious. Spiced, soft, full of dried fruit, and amazing toasted with a bit of butter.
- 2 tsp dried yeast
- 50g caster sugar
- 150ml warm milk
- 75ml warm water
- 450g bread flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 egg, beaten
- 50g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 100g currants
- 40g chopped mixed peel
- Couple of gratings of orange zest
- In a small jug, whisk together the milk, water, sugar and yeast. Once well combined, leave to froth for 5 mins or so
- Put the flour, salt and spices into a big bowl and mix
- Make a well in the middle and add the melted butter, beaten egg, yeast mixture, currants, mixed peel and orange zest
- Mix first with a spoon, then with your hands, into a soft dough
- Turn out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 mins until it’s smooth and elastic. It will also smell amazing! It may shed currants as you knead, but just stick them back in as you go
- Tenderly place the ball of dough into a clean bowl (or just wash up the one you used before), cover with a tea towel and stick in a warm place for an hour. Mine always goes in the airing cupboard with the towels
- When it has doubled in size, tip out of the bowl and knead again for a couple of mins
- Divide into 12 roughly equal-sized pieces and roll gently with your hands into round buns
- Line the baking tray with baking parchment. Pop the buns onto the lined tray and cover with the same tea towel
- Pop back in the warm place for around 40 mins, until doubled in size again. This is the ‘cross’ stage if you can be bothered to pipe a flour-water paste over the tops in X shapes
- Pre-heat the oven to 170C fan (190C) and bake for 15-20 mins until golden brown
- If you want them to be shiny and a little bit sticky (again, I can never be bothered) you can brush over a sugar glaze while they’re still warm. This should set once they’re cool.
Tuck. In.
Sophie cooks 