Hot Cross Buns

A British Tradition on Good Friday is Hot Cross Buns. I have never made them before, normally back home we would just buy them from the grocery store. But I decided that I would have a go making them this year, and set to making them yesterday. They turned out YUMMY! I should say that my bread machine did all the hard work!


I have 2 different recipes , one uses icing for the top for the cross, but then the other one said to use a piped pastry for the cross (which is the proper way to do it)

Here is the recipe for a bread machine:

2 eggs + enough water to equal 1 1/2 cups
1/2 cup soft butter
4 cups Bread Flour
3/4 teaspn cinnamon
1/4 teaspn ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspn salt
2 tablespn sugar
1 1/2 teaspn yeast
1 cup raisins

Icing for the top

Set bread machine on the dough cycle, add the raisins when indicated. When done remove the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes, covered. Grease a cookie sheet. Divide the dough into 16 equal parts and roll into a smooth ball. Place on a cookie sheet, cover let rise for about 40 minute. Heat oven 375 degrees, brush with egg wash and bake 18-20 minutes. When cool make a cross with icing.

For the pastry cross you need 1/2 cup plain flour , 2 tblspn margarine and some water. Rub the marg into the flour until it resembles bread crumbs. Then bind together with enough water to make it a soft pastry so it can piped. Then a cross has to be piped on top of the buns before they go in the oven.

Enjoy!