Apple & Sultana Hot Cross Buns

First guest post… Yumza indeed!

“I find any recipe involving yeast intimidating – this is the first one I’ve attempted that’s turned out really well. But once you get your head around it, this recipe is simple. Swap some sultanas for other ingredients like candied peel, (which is really good, but there was none in the shop), soaked raisins or chocolate”

• 300ml milk
• 8 cardamom pods, gently crushed
• 50g butter

• 500g strong bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 65g caster sugar
• 7g sachet fast-action yeast, or 14g live yeast, or 30g sourdough starter
• 1 egg
• 175g sultanas
• zest of 1 orange
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 apple, peeled and finely chopped
• 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 80g strong bread flour
• 3 tablespoons apricot jam

Simmer the milk in a pan with cardamom pods, then melt in the butter and leave to cool. Mix the flour, salt, yeast and sugar in a large bowl. Strain the warm milk, or fish out the cardaomon pods. Beat in the egg. Make a well in the solids and stir in the liquids with a wooden spoon to combine well.

Tip onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 mins then place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film, or a damp tea-towel. Leave to prove for an hour in a warm place until doubled in size. Placing in an open oven next to a small saucepan of boiling water works if it’s slow to prove.

Keeping the dough in the bowl, knead in the sultanas with your hands (soak these in tea if you fancy it), finely chopped apple, orange and lemon zest and cinnamon. Prove for another hour.

On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 15 lumps (should be roughly 80g each); softly roll into balls; and place about 2cm apart on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Leave for another 45 mins until most are just touching each other.

Preheat oven to 200C fan. Stir 5 tbsp of water into the additional flour and put in a piping or freezer bag to make a thick paste. Pipe lines through the centre of each row, then each column for the classic criss-cross.

Bake for 20 mins. Melt the apricot jam and brush over the tops to glaze.

Yumza!