How to make hot cross buns:

Making your own buns can yield exceptional results, even better than those on offer at bakers and supermarkets.

Making your own will save you a small fortune, though you’ll probably spend up to an hour preparing and cooking them.

This is a luxury recipe, so if you want to save money don’t use the vanilla pod or citrus fruits and ease back on the dried fruit.

If you fancy a twist, ditch the usual raisins and sultanas and try something different like goji berries or cranberries. If you like, you can add mini chocolate drops instead.

Ingredients:

• 450g strong bread flour
• a pinch of salt
• 2tsp ground cinnamon
• 2tsp ground nutmeg
• the seeds from one vanilla pod
• 7g dried yeast
• 150g dried fruit – use raisins, sultanas or try something different
• Grated rind of 1 orange,
• 1 lemon,
• 1 lime
• 110g caster sugar
• 50g unsalted butter
• 250ml milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• Paste of 80g plain flour, 2tbsp sugar, 100ml water
• Glaze of 2tbsp brown sugar, 3tbsp milk, 1tbsp marmalade

Method

1. Put your flour, salt and spices into a mixing bowl then blend in the yeast, fruit, rind and sugar. Gently heat the butter then stir in the milk and vanilla seeds. Pour than into your beaten egg mix and add the flour to make a dough. Need until pliable, this should take 15 minutes.

2. Divide your buns into individual shapes then cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise. The buns should double in size over 90 to 120 minutes.

3. Make the paste that will form the topping on your buns. Put it into a piping bag and draw a cross on each bun. Now bake them at 180celsius for 10 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 150 celisus and cook until golden, which should take 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Remove from the oven, brush with the glaze and cool. Then tuck in!