Recipe of the Month

Savoury Hot Cross Buns

A delicious savoury alternative to the traditional Hot Cross Bun, with the same spicy-sweet taste we enjoy. With mature cheddar, sage and bacon glazed with maple syrup, what more could you want as a replacement for the traditional Sunday morning breakfast. Ingredients

55g salted butter, cubed, at room temperature 460g bread flour 1 tsp salt 40ml soft brown sugar 1 tsp mixed spices 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp mixed peel (optional) 11g Instant dry yeast 1 large egg, beaten 200ml warm water ½ cup raisins or sultanas (optional) 230g mature cheddar, grated 250g streaky bacon halved lengthways 60ml maple syrup, for brushing 30g fresh thyme sprigs, to garnish icing sugar

Method

Grease and line a deep roasting tray. Rub the butter into the flour and add in salt, sugar, spices and then mix. Add the yeast and mix again. Beat the egg and warm water together and add to the dough. Mix the ingredients to form a soft dough then knead for 10 minutes until you get a smooth and elastic result. Mix in the raisins or sultanas, if you are using them.

Split the dough up into 12 equal amounts and roll into balls. Roll each ball in the grated cheddar cheese then wrap two slices of bacon over the top of the dough to form a cross. Place the dough balls in the tray and loosely cover with cling wrap and allow to prove until roughly doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (160 °C for fan-forced). Brush the bacon with maple syrup and sprinkle some thyme leaves over the buns.

Bake in a preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. Test the buns are cooked correctly but tapping them, they should make a hollow sound when tapped. Serve warm with loads of butter for spreading.

Enjoy!