How to make Gail’s hot cross buns

Time, at the moment, feels as if it’s in some sort of limbo state.

With most Brits isolating themselves in their homes due to the coronavirus pandemic, it’s easy to lose track of which day it is. Which is why you’d be forgiven for forgetting that Easter is just around the corner, next weekend in fact.

Next Friday, April 10, is Good Friday which marks the death and crucifixion of Jesus. At some point in history, it also became a day synonymous with hot cross buns.

While the history of the hot cross bun is unclear, the ‘cross’ on top of the bun is believed to be religious symbolism, signifying Jesus’ crucifixion on the cross on Good Friday.

Historically, these buns were only allowed to be eaten on Good Friday, Christmas and at funerals. In the sixteenth century, Queen Elizabeth I banned the sale of hot cross buns and any other sweet buns on every day except for these occasions, believing the buns to have medicinal qualities that could be abused.

While hot cross buns can now be consumed whenever we feel like a touch of spice in a warming bun, most people still tend to eat them at Easter. If you’re in the baking mood (like everyone else currently cooking sourdough ), award-winning London artisan bakery Gail’s has provided its hot cross bun recipe below.

Gail’s Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients

The Buns

• 20g fresh yeast
• 1 tbsp whole milk
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 400g plain flour
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 0.5 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 200ml whole milk
• 70g caster sugar
• 1 large egg
• 70g soft unsalted butter (cut the cold butter into 2cm cubes and leave at room temperature for an hour before using)
• 40g sultanas
• 40g dry currants
• 40g dried unsweetened cranberries
• 70g mixed peel
• 0.5 tsp fine sea salt

Cross Topping

• 200g plain flour
• 230g icing sugar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp milk

Syrup

• 300g caster sugar
• 200g water
• 1 whole nutmeg
• 1 whole star anise
• 1 whole clove
• 0.5 vanilla pod split in half lengthwise

Method

Making the buns

In a large mixing bowl melt the yeast with a tablespoon of whole milk and a teaspoon of caster sugar. Make sure the yeast has completely dissolved and leave for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, you should notice mini bubbles on top of your yeast liquid: that means your yeast is alive.

In a separate bowl, sieve the flour with the spices. Add the spiced flour to the yeast mixture. Keep adding the rest of the milk, the sugar and egg.

Begin to bind the mixture together using your hands, for 4-5 minutes until it forms a rough dough, and then add the butter a chunk at a time whilst kneading the dough.

After adding all the butter slowly, it should take around 2-3 minutes you will have a nice sticky dough. Continue kneading for 5 minutes more until you get a smooth, shiny dough.

Add the salt and fruits and continue kneading for 3 minutes more. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave at room temperature for 1.5 hours, until it grows to almost double in size.

Pour your dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 20 pieces at 50g each. Roll the dough pieces into shape by rolling them on a surface against your palms to create smooth buns.

Arrange the buns on a baking tray lined with a baking paper (all the buns onto one tray) and make sure you keep an even gap between them all. Cover the tray with a clean tea towel and leave to rise at room temperature until almost double in size.

When the buns are ready (the sides of each bun should be touching and you almost shouldn’t be able see the tray) make an eggwash by whisking 1 whole egg, 1 egg yolk and a teaspoon of milk. Brush the buns carefully with this eggwash and leave to dry out for 10 minutes. Brush again.

Pre heat the oven to 200°C.

Making the X topping

Using a hand whisk, gently combine all the ingredients into a smooth paste.

Fill a plastic piping bag with the topping mixture and cut a small hole using scissors. Always cut a smaller hole than you think you might need as you can cut it again to make a bigger hole – but you can’t make a big hole smaller!

Pipe thin crosses on top of the buns on the tray and pop it into the hot oven.

Immediately, reduce the oven temp to 180°C until thoroughly baked and golden (around 20-22 minutes).

Making the syrup (while the buns are cooking)

Put all the syrup ingredients in a small saucepan and over a low heat bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once the sugar has dissolved completely, increase the heat and simmer for couple of minutes until you have a syrupy consistency.

Remove from the heat and fish the spices out.

Once the buns are ready, take them out of the oven and carefully brush them with the hot syrup.

Leave to cool for 15 minutes before serving.