Make your own buns

Press, 1 April 1980, Page 14

Make your own buns

Try this recipe and have hot cross buns straight from the oven on Good Friday. The recipe contains yeast to make the buns rise. There are two things to remember about yeast: You need to keep the mixture warm, but not hot, and do not let it get cold. Too much heat or cold kills the action of the yeast. It is important to knead the dough well to distdibute the yeast. If you do not, you will have tough buns with, large holes in. some places and none in others. You want light airy buns with tiny, holes all through them. When you knead dough you clench your hands and press your knuckles into it firmly. Push it back into its original shape ‘ and knead several times. Ingredients: 1 dessertspoonful of dried yeast 6oz sugar 1 teaspoonful of mixed spice J 1 teaspopnful of salt f £: i litrfe warm milk 450 g plain flour 20g butter 65g sultanas What to do: 1. Take one teaspoonful of sugar from the 60g you have measured. Mix . it with the warm milk, add the yeast and stir well, or use a whisk for a few seconds, to make sure the sugar and yeast are dissolved in the milk. 2. Sprinkle a little of the flour on top of the milk

and leave it in a warm place for about 15 minutes until it begins to look frothy. 3. Put the rest of the flour in a warm earthenware bowl (not stainless steel), with the salt; and rub in the butter. 4. Add the sugar, mixed spice and sultanas. 5. Mix the yeast and milk mixture into the dry ingredients to make a dough. Add a little more warm milk if needed. 6. Knead the dough well for about five minutes, on a . floured board. . 7. Roll the dough into a ball, cover it and leave in a warm place for. about : 40 minutes to rise. . ! 8. Turn the oven on and heat to a temperature of 350 degrees F. or 180 degrees C. 9. When the dough has risen to about twice its former size, cut it into 12 pieces, and round each piece into the shape of a bun. 10. Place on a greased oven tray. Make crosses on the top of each bun with a knife. 11. Put the buns in the owen and cook for about 20 minutes. 12. While the buns are cooking make a glaze for the top by boiling two dessertspoonfuls of sugar with two of water. Keep it hot untiu the buns are cooked. 13. When you take the buns from the oven, brush them over the top with the hot glaze mixture. _j