Hot Cross Bun Loaf

Name: Hot Cross Bun Loaf
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 60 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 500g strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; ¼ tspmixed spice; a few gratings of whole nutmeg; ¼ 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; 2 oranges, finely grated zest of; 25g plain flour; 1 tsp sunflower oil; 2-3 tbsp cold water; 2 oranges, juice of; 2 tbsp marmalade

Serves: 8

Ready in: 60 mins +

This orange and cranberry hot cross bun loaf is bursting with bright, zesty and fruity flavours. Perfect for sharing with your family this Easter!

Ingredients
Method

Ingredients:

500g strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tspmixed spice
a few gratings of whole nutmeg
¼ 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
2 oranges, finely grated zest of
25g plain flour
1 tsp sunflower oil
2-3 tbsp cold water
2 oranges, juice of
2 tbsp marmalade

method:

Grease 900g loaf tin with softened butter. 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.
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 seven minutes, until smooth and elastic.
Place into a lightly oiled mixing bowl and cover. Place in a warm place to rise for 1-2 hours, until it’s doubled in size.
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 it back in the oiled bowl and cover again. Allow to rise for a further hour.
Divide the dough into eight 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 one more hour. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
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 the loaf is golden and has risen.
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. It makes great toast or as the base for a bread and butter pudding.

Print Recipe www.clarencecourt.co.uk/