Royal Hot Cross Buns

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Kathryn Cuthbertson MVO spent 14 years working in 5-star hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants before becoming the Senior Pastry Chef in the Royal Household at Buckingham Palace, London. 

From July 2006 to December 2017, she served as the Royal Pastry Chef to the late Queen Elizabeth II. 

Kathryn Cuthbertson, Pastry Chef to Queen Elizabeth II

It was during that time that the Royal Staff shared their recipe for the Royal Hot Cross Buns, a favourite with the Royal Family and baked during the period of Lent. 

Traditionally eaten on Good Friday, the modern, and authentic, Hot Cross Bun owes much to the original Alban Bun, baked by Brother Thomas Rodcliffe in the 14th century at the Abbey of St Albans, 25 miles from London. 

Notes: 

1. These are small Hot Cross Buns, which I suppose is to be expected. Somehow, I couldn't have seen her Majesty with a huge slab of hot buttered bun and a mug of tea...unlike me, of course. But, there you go!

2. You'll notice that there is only one proof. Mix, shape, proof and bake. This is intentional. Because of the butter and the eggs, it takes a long time to prove. Watch the dough, not the clock - the times suggested are only guidelines and I was proofing at 22⁰C. 

3. This recipe is fairly low-salt. I dare say, that is intentional given the client. If you like your bread a little more salty, or tend to use unsalted butter as a spread...you may wish to increase the salt. Check out the taste-testers comments at the end. 

4. I've made these four times now - keeping to the formula - and they've been consistently excellent.  

INGREDIENTS

25 gms of fresh yeast or 10 gms of dried yeast or 8 gms of instant quick yeast

375 gms strong white bread flour

60 gms unsalted butter (chilled and diced) 

30 gms caster sugar (US: superfine sugar) 

130 gms tepid water

80 gms of fresh egg

½ teaspoon of crushed sea salt (about 2 gms) See note 3 above

2 tablespoons of candied mixed peel (see below)

2 tablespoons of golden sultanas (US: golden raisins)

2 tablespoons of raisins

2 teaspoons of ground mixed spice (see below) 

(How to make your own mixed spice: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/user/388309/recipe/mixed-spice) 

(How to make your own candied peel: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/candied-citrus-peel )

For the piping paste:

4 tablespoons of plain white flour (US: AP flour - cake flour) 

1 tablespoon caster sugar (US: superfine sugar) 

about 3 tablespoons cold water

(and, of course...a piping bag) 

For the sugar glaze:

50 gms water

100 gms caster sugar (US: superfine sugar) 

METHOD

1. Activate the yeast in the tepid water and add a teaspoon of the caster sugar.

2. Mix the flour, salt, mixed spice and the remaining sugar in a large bowl. 

3. Mix the eggs with the activated yeast and pour into the bowl containing the flour, etc. 

4. Mix everything together into a soft pliable dough, working in the diced butter as you go along.

5. Finally, work in the mixed fruit, ensuring it is evenly distributed. 

6. Tip the dough out onto a very, very lightly floured surface and knead for about 6 - 8 minutes. 

7. Weigh the dough and then divide it into 50 gm dough pieces (15 buns in total) 

8. Roll each piece out into a ball and place it on a prepared baking sheet, space the hot cross buns out a  little to allow for expansion. 

9. Cover and leave in a warm room for about 35 - 45 minutes or until they have doubled. 

10. Just before the buns are doubled, mix together the piping paste into a consistency that will allow you to pipe a cross on the top of each bun. 

11. Preheat the oven to 220⁰C / 425⁰F / Gas Mark 7 

12. Pipe a cross over the rows of buns and bake for 8 - 12 minutes until they are golden brown. 

13. While they are baking, mix the glazing solution and boil until it has a good consistency for glazing. 

14. As soon as the buns are out of the oven, trim off the excess 'cross' using a pair of scissors, glaze them with the warm syrup and allow them to cool on a rack. 

15. Once cool....enjoy with some of the best butter you can find. 

Happy baking.

Oh..PS

I asked my taste-testers to consider two elements: 

(i) Would the dough improve if there was more salt added? 

and

(ii) There is a lot less fruit in these than in the BC20 fully-loaded fruit buns. Was that an issue? 

The reply: 

There you go.....! Result!