New Hall Mill Not Cross Buns

These 'Not Cross' Buns are a favourite recipe cooked by Anne, one of our volunteers.

Ingredients

• 500g New Hall Mill flour (or strong bread flour)
• 50g butter
• 300ml milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 75g caster sugar
• 7g fast acting yeast
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 75g sultanas
• 50g mixed peel
• 1 lemon - the zest
• 1 apple, peeled and chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice
• extra flour, for dusting surfaces
• 3 tablespoons apricot jam, for glazing

Method

1. Bring the milk to the boil and add the butter - leave to cool until hand hot.
2. Put the flour, salt, yeast and sugar into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the warm milk and butter mix. Add the beaten egg. Mix well with a wooden spoon, then bring everything together with your hands to make a sticky dough.
3. Tip the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.
4. Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with oiled clingfilm. Allow to rise until doubled in size (about an hour).
5. Add the sultanas, peel, lemon zest, chopped apple, cinnamon, and mixed spice to the dough in the bowl. Knead it all into the dough until everything is well incorporated. Leave to rise for one hour until doubled in size (oil and clingfilm as in step 4).
6. Divide the dough into 15 even pieces. Roll each one on a floured board into a smooth ball. Arrange the balls on two baking trays lined with parchment. Cover loosely with oiled clingfilm and leave to rise for an hour.
7. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200° (180° in a fan oven) for 18 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.
8. Heat the apricot jam to melt, sieve out any lumps. Brush the warm jam onto the warm buns to glaze them.

We hope you enjoy these tasty buns as much as we do!