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Put a little zing in your hot cross buns with Adele Trathan’s twist on an age-old recipe
Makes: 12
INGREDIENTS
- 700g (1lb 8oz) strong white bread flour, plus 5 tbsp for crosses
- 400ml (13½fl oz) milk, warm (not hot)
- 2 x 7g (¼ oz) sachets fast-action dried yeast
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp salt
- 150g (5oz) mature cheddar, grated
- 5 tbsp grated parmesan
- 5 tbsp water
METHOD
- Put the flour, yeast, paprika, mustard and chilli powder and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk. Mix with a wooden spoon, then use your hands to form a soft dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until smooth. Put back into the bowl and lightly cover with oiled cling film and leave in a warm place for about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Tip the dough back out onto a floured surface and knead in the cheddar cheese evenly (keep some aside for sprinkling over before cooking). Cut the dough into 12 evenly sized pieces and shape into round buns.
- Dust a large flat baking sheet with flour and place the buns on the sheet allowing a 2-3cm gap between each one. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove at room temperature for one hour or until nearly doubled in size.
- Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C Fan, 390°F, Gas 6). Mix the parmesan, 5 tbsp of flour with 5 tbsp water to make a thin paste. Spoon the paste into a piping bag or a zip-lock bag and make a small cut in one corner. Pipe a line across each row of buns, then again in a perpendicular direction to make a cross on each bun.
- Scatter the tops with the remaining cheddar cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden. Cool on a wire rack, serve warm with butter, delicious with soup for lunch.