Saturday 30 March 2013

Hot Cross Buns (Delia Smith's)


Happy Easter!
Easter and you think of sun and blue skies; April Showers (rain); young lambs frolicking in the fields; fluffy chicks; new beginnings; lots of chocolate and my favourite of all - Hot Cross Buns.
My mum enjoys these too and I remember making these when I was younger - they often turned like rocks the next day though.  Large supermarkets have in-store bakeries that churn out stacks and stacks of these buns so it's cheap and easy to buy them these days.

I saw something intriguing on another blogger's post, it was Cook Like A Star where a celebrity chef is chosen and participants cook any dish by the said chef.  This occasion it's the turn of Delia Smith in the spotlight.  I have watched Delia Smith on TV cookery programmes from when I was a child and some of my favourite cake recipes are in fact from one of her books.  So what better excuse to look up recipes to cook and join in the blogging and cooking fun!
(Thank you Anncoo for your delicious post on Chocolate Drop Mini Muffins with Red Noses - as that is where I saw the Cook Like A Star blog hop event!)

Hot Cross Buns (recipe adapted from Deliaonline - Hot Cross Buns)


Ingredients
450g strong bread flour
50g caster sugar
5g salt
7g easy-bake yeast
125g dried mixed fruit (raisins, sultana, currant & mixed peel)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
50g butter
1 egg
50ml milk
150ml water
Crosses
3 tsp plain flour
3 tsp water
Glaze
1 tsp honey
2 tsp warm water

Sift flour, salt and cinnamon into a mixing bowl and add the sugar, yeast and dried mixed fruit. Stir to mix everything together and make a well in the centre.

Melt the butter in a jug, add the milk, crack the egg in and mix together.  Pour this into the dry ingredients, add most of the water (saving a couple of tablespoons back in case dough gets too wet), mix with a spatula until a dough begins to form, then put your hand in to squeeze and bring everything together.

Transfer dough to a clean surface and knead until it feels smooth and elastic - about 6 minutes.  Pop it back into the bowl, cover the bowl with a lightly oiled sheet of cling wrap and leave in a warm place to double in size (it will take about an hour).

Turn it out and knead lightly until it has returned to original size.  Divide dough into 12 equal pieces and roll them into balls.  Place them on a lined baking sheet leaving room for them to rise.  Cover with the oiled cling wrap and leave to rise again (about 25 minutes).

Preheat the oven to gas 7 / 220 C / 425 F.

Mix the plain flour with the water in a small bowl to a smooth paste.  Use this to gently pipe crosses onto the risen buns.

Bake the buns for about 15 minutes.

Mix the honey with the warm water and brush the buns when they are hot from the oven to make them shiny and sticky.

Transfer to a rack to cool.










This is my submission to the blog hop event Cook Like A Star (March 2013) organised by: Zoe (Bake For Happy Kids), Baby Sumo (Eat Your Heart Out) and Mich (Piece of Cake)


12 comments:

  1. Happy Easter, Lynne! I love your freshly baked hot cross buns! Homemade is always the best :D
    Thank you for the mention :)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Ann! :)
      Homemade cakes I find are always better but sometimes I struggle with breads :D

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  2. Hi there, thanks for joining us in this bloghop. Your homemade hot cross buns looks great. - Yen

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Yen :)
      I was fortunate to just catch details of it on time :) There are several Delia recipes I like - shame I didn't get to make more of them. I see you managed to test out a few recipes :)

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    2. I managed to make these HCB this year and my family really enjoyed them!

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  3. Hi Lynne,
    Saw you in Ms B home(blog).
    Thought of drop by to day 'hai'
    Oh! I have make this DS hot cross buns too in Easter. Yours are nicely done and I love how you piped your crosses : )
    mui

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    Replies
    1. Hi & thank you Mui Mui :)
      Just seen the Steamed Ladybirds on your blog - amazing! ^_^

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    2. Lynne,
      Thanks for dropping by: )
      mui

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  4. Hi Plum leaf,

    Sorry for my late visit... Nice to have you baking with us for Delia Smith's cooking event. I wanted to bake these hot cross buns initially but choose to bake something else for Easter. In regardless, glad that you enjoy your bake :D

    Nice to know you too via Cook like a Star. Hope to cook and bake more often with you in the future. I'm now latest follower :D

    Zoe

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    Replies
    1. Hi latest follower :) *Waves*
      I wanted to squeeze in Delia's Carrot Cake but I didn't get time :)
      It was a fun event & was glad to take part :)

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  5. Hi plumleaf,
    I maybe making these buns if I can squeeze in the time, wonder if the buns stay remain soft the next day or do they become rock hard? ;)

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    Replies
    1. Hi Miss B,
      I didn't think they were particularly soft.
      Fresh bread and buns in my opinion are best eaten same day. But if making again, I'd probably use a scalded dough base and turn it into Hot Cross Buns using classic flavours - mixed spice, dried vine fruits and dried citrus peel.
      Hope that helps! X

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