Good Friday

We're having a quiet day at home...not going to church, this morning. Rather, we will be making Hot Cross Buns. Mr Busy has brought home his recipes from school and I know that one works, so that's what we'll use. We'll have a chat about the crosses on the tops and what that means to us, specifically.

Perhaps we'll find someone to share them with!

Hot Cross Buns

5 cups bread flour (white)
1 tablespoon yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup currants or sultanas
1 cup warm milk
1 cup warm water

1. Put flour, yeast, sugar, salt, currants and cinnamon into a bowl and mix together.
2. Add eggs and warmed milk and water and mix to a dough.
3. Turn out onto a floured bench and knead until smooth and elastic.
4. Return to the bowl, cover, and allow to rest and rise in a warm place (about 45 minutes).
5. Punch down and divide into 20 portions.
6. Form into ball shapes and place on greased tray.
7. Allow to rise in a warm place (about 30-45 minutes).
8. Pipe crosses made from a sugar, flour and water paste. Be careful not to touch the buns when you're doing this!
   
9. Bake in a hot oven (200C/400F) for 20 minutes.
10. Glaze with a sugar syrup.

Strangely, the paste and the sugar syrup ingredients were missing! I've found what I needed online! You've got to love the internet!

Glaze
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons castor sugar

Combine glaze ingredients in a saucepan. Over low heat, simmer until the sugar is dissolved, then bring to the boil and boil for 5 minutes.

Cross Paste
1/2 cup plain flour
2 teaspoons castor sugar
4-5 tablespoons water

Mix ingredients into a paste until smooth. Place into a snack lock bag and seal. Snip off a corner and pipe the paste over the buns in the shape of crosses.

Personally, I would add a little more sugar to the dough mixture. Maybe another 1-2 tablespoons. They just weren't quite sweet enough for my taste. We made about 32 smaller sized buns at school. To make this recipe into 20 portions would make very large hot cross buns! I prefer the smaller sized ones.