Hot Cross Bun Recipe by Hotel Café Royal

An Easter staple, hot cross buns are a much-loved British treat, baked with raisins, currants, and best served with lashings of butter. Traditionally, hot cross buns are eaten in celebration of the end of Lent, but whether you've participated or not, this recipe is too good not to share.

We caught up with Hotel Café Royal’s Executive Pastry Chef, Sarah Barber, to get the secret to the perfect homemade hot cross bun.

Ingredients

*Makes 16 hot cross buns

• 300g milk
• 50g butter
• 500g T55 strong flour
• 10g salt
• 75g sugar
• 20g vegetable oil
• 10g yeast
• 1 egg
• 75g sultanas
• 50g mixed peel
• 10g orange peel
• 1 grated apple
• 10g cinnamon
• Flour and water for the cross
• Sugar and water for the glaze

Method

1. Mix all your ingredients, apart from the fruit, together in a bowl with the hook tool of a food mixer at the highest speed setting for five minutes, followed by a couple of minutes at medium speed - until the dough comes off the mixing bowl easily.
    
2. Add the fruit and mix into the dough. When evenly spread, leave in the fridge overnight.
    
3. Divide the dough into 16 portions (about 25 grams each) and place the portions of dough onto a baking tray covered with greaseproof baking paper, leaving space for expansion. Cover with oiled cling film or a clean tea towel and leave to prove for 30 - 40 minutes.
    
4. Once proved, mix equal quantities of flour and water together and place in a piping bag. Carefully pipe a cross over each bun.
    
5. Bake at 180 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown.
    
6. Once baked, mix 200g sugar with 100g water and bring to the boil. Use this hot mixture to glaze buns and leave to cool.

Huge thanks to Hotel Café Royal for sharing its recipe - we hope you enjoy this delicious Easter treat.

Followed our Easter instructions? Share your homemade hot cross buns with us at @RegentStreetW1.