There’s perhaps no food quite so synonymous with Easter (except maybe, arguably, Easter eggs) as the hot cross bun. Traditionally flavoured with all spice and raisins, these days these yeasty treats are available in all manner of flavours, from Marmite to chocolate.
The history of the hot cross bun is long, supposedly dating back to Saxon times. Back then, of course, they didn’t have any Christian significance — Saxons ate buns marked with crosses in honour of Eostre, the goddess of spring or light. And it’s from the name Eostre that the word Easter is derived. It’s thought that Druids, Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans all ate similar cakes or buns marked with deer or ox horns, or a cross signifying the four quarters of the moon in honour of Diana, Goddess of the Hunt and the Moon. You can even find remains of these buns in an ancient bakehouse in Pompeii, and these buns also get a mention in the Bible, when Jeremiah chastises Hebrew women for continuing to worship Diana by offering up said cakes.
Apparently not wanting to give up the delicious cakes, Christians adopted them, changing the symbolism of the cross to represent the crucifixion, and the spices to represent those used to embalm Jesus.
Instead of the traditional buns, this recipe puts the flavours of a hot cross bun, along with some orange and cranberry, into a loaf. And of course, you could try experimenting with your own flavours too if you’re feeling creative!
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
- 500g strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1⁄4 tsp mixed spice
- A few gratings of whole nutmeg
- 1⁄4 tsp fine salt
- 75g caster sugar
- 7g sachet dry yeast
- 170ml whole milk, gently warmed to hand heat
- 2 large Clarence Court Burford Browns eggs, beaten
- 80g unsalted butter, softened well, plus extra for greasing
- 80g sultanas
- 60g mixed peel
- 80g dried cranberries
- Zest of 2 oranges, finely grated
- 25g plain flour
- 1 tsp sunflower oil
- 2-3 tbsp cold water
- Juice of 2 oranges
- 2 tbsp marmalade
METHOD
1 Grease a 2lb (900g) loaf tin with softened butter.
2 Sieve the flour, cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar and make a well in the centre. Place the yeast in a jug with the warm milk, stir until dissolved and bubbling. Add the milk, eggs and butter to the well and mix into a soft dough.
3 Lightly dust a clean work surface with a little flour or tip into the bowl of a free standing mixer with a dough hook and knead for 7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
4 Place into a lightly oiled mixing bowl and cover with cling film. Place in a warm place to rise for 1-2 hours until it’s doubled in size.
5 When time is up lightly flour a clean work surface. Tip the dough on to the surface and lightly knead. A few spoonfuls at a time sprinkle over the fruit and zest then knead and fold into the dough. When it’s all incorporated place back in the oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Allow to rise for a further hour.
6 Divide the dough into 8 equal size balls (use a weighing scale to make sure they’re all the same size). Shape the balls into fat sausages. Place the sausages side by side in the tin. Place the tin in a large sandwich bag and seal it. Allow to rise in a warm place for 1 more hour.
7 Pre-heat the oven to 180 ̊C/Gas Mark 4.
8 Meanwhile, mix the plain flour, oil and cold water in a bowl to make a smooth paste. Spoon in to a small piping bag and snip off a small hole. Pipe a little cross on top of each of the hot cross buns. Place the tin in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden and risen.
9 Place the juice and marmalade in a small pan and allow to bubble and thicken on a low heat. When the loaf is ready, carefully and quickly turn it out of the tin and on to a cooling rack. Brush over the glaze and leave to cool. Serve warm with salted butter. This loaf is best eaten on the day it’s made but will come back to a lovely soft loaf if warmed through in the oven the next day.
Recipe by Clarence Court