Hot cross buns

Tim got lucky today. Although possibly not in the way you may be imagining... 

After allowing myself to be dragged out of bed at some uncivilized hour (for a public holiday), I went for a long walk with Tim and Ladybug down streets, across ovals, over hills and through fields. I did this clad in exercise gear. Yes, I know it's Good Friday! Once we got home I remembered the tasty treat lying dormant in the fridge, just waiting to be taken out and made into something truly wonderful for a crisp, clean autumn morning - hot cross buns!

Apparently you're meant to eat hot cross buns on Good Friday, so I did the right thing. At this time of year with a slight chill in the air, I could happily eat them hot with real butter on any morning. I was especially determined to make home made ones this year because I haven't for about two years and I feel a bit slack. I don't think I even bought ones last year. On the last occasion I made them,  and try and imagine how this went down with the lycra bandits, Tim blew of his riding buddies for a morning ride, texting them with "I can't come out this morning. Julia's making hot cross buns." They haven't forgotten.

Since the last time, I discovered spelt so I can now partake. And I have. Several times, including one for dinner tonight, this being the only thing I could manage after a huge Good Friday lunch of Atlantic salmon, bbq'd with coriander, chilli and lemon, various salads, hot and cold entrees beforehand and to finish properly, a decadent chocolate gingerbread cake served with double cream (recipe coming). Shared with a group of good friends as well as some newer ones, it was a good day. Tim has only just started the washing up. 

But back to the buns, they're a bit involved in that you have to make the dough the night before and let it prove in the fridge overnight. It's not a big thing but it does mean you have to prepare in advance and be a bit patient. In other words, you can't just decide you feel like hot cross buns for afternoon tea and whip some up. I promise they're worth it!

I've altered a Nigella Lawson recipe and have used spelt. I've found in the past that spelt doughs don't necessarily rise as well as regular flour if you work them too much, so I used a dough hook in the mixer and didn't go nuts after I'd punched the dough back in the morning. Also, I warmed the dough up a bit to get it going. I did this by putting the trays of dough balls over a large bowl of boiling water for about 5 minutes. It does help and they rose really well and were brilliant with butter, straight out of the oven. Supermarket buns these ain't! 

Ingredients:

150ml milk

50g butter

zest of 1 orange

1 cardamom pod

400g spelt flour

7g dry yeast

125g mixed fruit (I used currants, sultanas and mixed peel)

1 tsp ground cinnamon 

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 egg

Heat the milk, butter, orange zest and cardamom pods in a saucepan until the butter melts, then turn the heat off and leave to infuse.  

Measure the flour, yeast and fruit into a bowl and add the spices. When the infused milk has cooled down a fair bit (but not cold), remove the pods and beat in the egg. Pour this liquid into the bowl of dry ingredients. 

Knead the dough either by hand or with a machine with a dough hook until you have a silky, elastic dough. Remember the fruit will mean this doesn't come out exactly smooth. Place it in a buttered (or lightly olive-oiled) bowl and cover with cling film. Put it in the fridge overnight.

The next day, take the dough out of the fridge and let it return to room temperature. Or do what I did with the bowl of hot water. Punch it down and knead it for jut a little bit again until it's smooth and elastic. Divide into 16 pieces (or less if you like bigger buns) and roll them into balls. Place them on a lined tray closely but not touching. Cover and let them rise a little in a warm place for up to 45 minutes. 

Make up an egg wash: 1 egg beaten with a splash of milk. Brush the buns over with this. Score a cross on the tops of each bun with a butter knife. Make up the cross mixture: 1 tbsp plain flour, 1/2 tbsp caster sugar, 2 or so tbsp water or enough to make it runny but not too thin. Dribble this into the crosses scored.  

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Eat immediately with some good, salty butter and a cup of decent coffee. 

If you want to get fancy, you can make up a sugar glaze to brush on them when they come out of the oven (1 tbsp caster sugar and 1 tbsp boiling water) but I don't bother. I don't like my buns sticky. But we're all different.