As Easter approaches Andrew Finch, our Head Chef at Events @ No 6, has been busy creating his home-made hot cross buns.

Make the most of the long Easter weekend and enjoy these delicious fruit buns with Andrew’s recipe below.

Ingredients:

300ml milk

50g butter

500g strong bread flour

1 tsp salt

75g sugar

1 tbsp. oil

7g dried yeast

1 egg beaten

75g sultanas

50g dried mixed peel

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 apple chopped finely

75g flour

Water to mix

Method:

1. Bring 300ml full-fat milk to the boil, then remove from the heat and add 50g butter. Leave to cool until it reaches hand temperature. Put 500g strong bread flour, 1 tsp salt, 75g caster sugar and 7g sachet fast-action or easy-blend yeast into a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Pour in the warm milk and butter mixture, and then add 1 beaten egg. Using a wooden spoon, mix well and bring everything together with your hands until you have a sticky dough.
2. Tip on to a lightly floured surface and knead by holding the dough with one hand and stretching it with the heal of the other hand and then folding it back on itself. Repeat for 5 mins until smooth and elastic. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hr or until doubled in size and a finger pressed into it leaves a dent.
3. With the dough still in the bowl, tip in 75g sultanas, 50g mixed peel, zest of 1 orange, 1 finely chopped apple and 1 tsp ground cinnamon. Knead into the dough, making sure everything is well distributed. Leave to rise for 1 hr more, or until doubled in size, again covered by some well-oiled cling film to stop the dough getting a crust.
4. Divide the dough into 15 even pieces (about 75g per piece). Roll each piece into a smooth ball on a lightly floured work surface. Arrange the buns on one or two baking trays lined with parchment, leaving enough space for the dough to expand. Cover (but don’t wrap) with more oiled cling film, or a clean tea towel, then set aside to prove for 1 hr more.
5. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Mix 75g plain flour with about 5 tbsps. water to make the paste for the cross – add the water 1 tbsp. at a time, so you add just enough for a thick paste. Spoon into a piping bag with a small nozzle. Pipe a line along each row of buns, then repeat in the other direction to create crosses. Bake for 20 mins on the middle shelf of the oven, until golden brown.
6. Gently heat 3 tbsps. of apricot jam to melt then sieve to get rid of any chunks. While the jam is still warm, brush over the top of the warm buns and leave to cool.