Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns arrived in England centuries before anyone thought to write down a recipe. Medieval monks baked them to mark Good Friday, the cross cut into the dough as devotion made edible. By the Tudor era, bakers faced fines for selling them outside of Easter week. The English took their buns seriously.

The dough itself is an enriched bread, softened with butter, eggs, and milk. It handles differently than lean doughs. The fat coats the gluten strands, making the crumb tender but also slowing the rise. Patience matters here. You'll need to give this dough time, and it will reward you with rolls that pull apart in soft, fragrant layers.

The spice blend is negotiable within tradition. I use cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice in modest proportion. The aromatics should whisper, not shout. The currants and candied peel provide enough punctuation. What isn't negotiable is the glaze. Brush it on while the buns are hot enough to make the honey sizzle slightly. This creates the characteristic tacky shine that makes your fingers stick together in the best possible way.

I've taught this recipe to students who swore they couldn't bake bread. By their third batch, they were adjusting the spices to their own taste and arguing about whether sultanas were acceptable substitutes. That's when I know the teaching has worked.