Phil Vickery's hot cross buns

Monday 8 April at 2:05pm

According to old Irish folklore, if you share a hot cross bun with someone it will cement your friendship for an entire year.

Phil Vickery is in the kitchen to ‘break bread’ with Eamonn and Ruth and show us his twist on the hot cross bun - but for the more traditional of us, he'll also be making the classic recipe too.

Hot cross buns

Ingredients

650g strong flour

Pinch salt

50g caster sugar

2 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp cinnamon

10g (1½ packets) of 7g sachet dried yeast

60g sultanas

40g currants

60g mixed peel

85g melted salted butter

300ml warm full cream milk approx

80g plain flour

3-4 tablespoons water

For the glaze

150g caster sugar

75ml sugar

½ tsp mixed spice

Method

Place the flour, salt, sugar, spices and yeast into a bowl
Mix well then add the fruit and peel
Mix well again, then add the melted butter and ¾ of the milk and mix to a soft dough, add more milk if needed the dough must not be too dry (tight)
Knead well for 2-3 minutes, then place in a warmed bowl cover with film and leave to prove until roughly double in size
Gently turn the dough out and just bring together, do not knead vigorously
Cut 18-20 pieces and gently roll into a bun shape
Place on a baking tray equally and cover lightly with film and leave in a warm place. You want them to double in size.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200C gas 6
Once proved, mix 80g plain flour with a little water to form a pipeable paste
Using a piping bag, go right across the buns in one direction, then the other way to form a cross
Bake in the pre heated oven for 15 minutes until well risen and lightly browned
Boil the sugar, water and spice until thick and syrupy
Once the buns are cooked, remove from the oven and place on a wire rack with parchment underneath
Paint the hot glaze over the hot buns and leave to cool and set