This delicious and easy recipe can be put together even by your littlest ones.
We encourage Montesorri stye learning and this is a great oportunity for your little ones to also have some sensory play, such a touching the flour and kneading the dough!
Ingredients
250g/1lb 2oz strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
250g wholemeal flour
75g/2¾oz caster sugar or honey
2 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 lemon finely grated zest only
10g/¼oz salt
10g/¼oz fast-action dried yeast
40g/1½oz butter
300ml/10fl oz milk (oat or soya milk is fine too)
1 free-range egg, beaten
Oil, for greasing
150g white Chocolate drops
200g dried cherries
For the topping
75g/2¾oz plain flour
For glazing
2tbs Golden syrup
Method
Add the sugar or honey, spices, orange zest and the two flours into a large bowl and mix these until there is an even mixture. Once mixed add salt to the left side of the bowl and yeast the to the right side, so they are opposite.
Put the butter on a low heat to melt and put your choice of milk in a pan and slowly heat so it is tepid. Add half of the milk and the melted butter to the bowl and the flour and spice mix. Stir this into the mixture and add the egg. Gradually mix. Slowly add the second half of the milk until you have a doughy mixture which should be pliable (there maybe some milk left over!)
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface. Do this for ten minutes lightly kneading the dough and adding in the dried fruit, knead so it is elastic making a smooth ball like shape. This can also be done in a food mixer.
Greece a bowl with a little butter and put the dough in it, let it rest for 1.5-2 hours in a warm place.
One the dough has rested, knead the dough for another 5 minutes on a floured surface. Then return this to the bowl and cover with cling film and leave it in a warm place for another hour or until the dough is double its size.
Once it has doubled in size, you can divide it into 12 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. You will need then to line a baking tray with paper. Place the balls on this, you can place then quite close together. Flatten the balls slightly to make a bun like shape.
You will need a larger polythene bag to now place the buns in, we suggest these from amazon which you can get here. Make sure the buns don’t touch the bag and let them rest for another 40-80 minutes until they have doubled in size.
You will need to preheat the oven to 220C/200C or Gas/Fan 7
For the cross on the hot cross buns s, add white flour to a bowl with 100mls of water. Mix this together and put this in an icing bag. Once the buns are risen remove the polythene bag and pipe a cross on each one.
Bake the buns in the oven until pale golden brown for 15-20 minutes, if necessary turn the tray.
Melt the golden syrup slowly in a pan and brush this onto the buns when they are still warm to make them shine. Put then on a tray to cool.
This recipe was inspired by Mary Berry's Hot Cross Bun Recipe
We hope you enjoy them!
