Readers send us their hot cross buns recipes

Checkers buns, at their test kitchen in Brackenfell.

Readers have sent us their hot cross bun recipes after we were unable to figure out where we went wrong with the recipe we printed in the Northern News on Wednesday April 5.

Here they are for you to try. For the original recipe visit: “Buns failure makes me hot and cross”, Northern News, April 5.

June Hadland’s recipe:

makes 18 buns

Ingredients:

10g instant yeast

500g cake flour

65ml sugar

5ml salt

3ml mixed spice

3ml nutmeg

4ml ground cinnamon

150ml milk

60g margarine

1 egg

125ml lukewarm water

150g mixed dried fruit

Crosses:

100g cake flour

2ml salt

50ml oil

125ml milk

Method:

Combine the flour, salt, sugar, mixed spice, cinnamon and nutmeg together. Add yeast.

Melt the margarine in the milk and allow to cool. Add to the dry ingredients together with the beaten egg and enough of the warm water to form a soft pliable dough.

Knead for 10 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface, cover with a sheet of plastic and leave to rest for 20 minutes.

Knock down the dough and knead again, incorporating the dried fruit.

Divide into 18 equal pieces and shape into buns. Place on a greased baking tray, cover and allow to prove until doubled in size.

Make the batter for the crosses by mixing the flour, salt and oil together. Add the milk gradually until the batter is thin enough to pipe but thick enough to hold its shape.

Brush the buns with beaten egg, then pipe crosses on top and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in preheated oven at 200°C (400°F)

Boil 50ml milk, 50ml water and 50ml sugar together for 4 minutes and use to glaze the buns as they come out the oven.