A Queen-worthy Good Friday treat! Royal pastry chefs share recipes for hot cross buns

Materials:

1.5 free-running chicken eggs 130 ml lukewarm water

25 g (1/8 cup) fresh yeast 2 tablespoons mixed candied bark

375 g (3 cups) strong flour 2 tablespoons golden seedless raisins

2 tablespoons unrefined granulated sugar 2 tablespoons raisins

60 g (¼ cup) unsalted butter, chilled and chopped

a good pinch of salt

2 teaspoons ground mixed herbs

for the pastry:

4 tablespoons of white flour

1 tablespoon unrefined granulated sugar

1 tablespoon of cold water

For the sugar syrup:

100 ml (½ cup) water

200 g (1 cup) unrefined granulated sugar

Equipment:

pastry bag

Put the eggs and dispersed yeast in a small bowl and mix the dry ingredients before pouring them into the center fountain.

Method:

Preheat oven to 220ºC (425ºF, gas mark 7)

• Divide the yeast into warm water. Sift flour, salt, sugar and mixed spices into a large bowl.
• Build a fountain in the middle of the compound. Put the eggs and dispersed yeast in a small bowl and mix the dry ingredients before pouring them into the center fountain. Knead and run in butter until you get a soft and non-sticky dough.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently stir in the dried fruit. Knead the dough for another 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
• Divide the dough into equal-sized rolls – there are about 15 with this recipe. You can weigh them on a balance to ensure a consistent size; It takes about 50 grams of dough per sandwich.
• Form each piece of dough into a ball and place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, cover with cling film and leave to rise for 30-45 minutes – their volume should double.
• While you wait, knead the ingredients of the custard dough into a paste that will allow you to make crosses on each muffin.
• When the rolls have finished rising, open the diagonals, place the rolls on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 8-12 minutes or until lightly browned.
• While cooking, boil sugar and water together to make sugar syrup. As soon as the sandwiches come out of the oven, brush them with warm sugar syrup and leave to cool on the wire rack.

When the rolls have finished rising, open the diagonals, place the rolls on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 8-12 minutes.