Cheesy Hot Cross Buns

The traditional Easter bread gets a savoury spin with cheddar and Parmesan. Serve warm with homemade soup

• Cooking Time Prep 40 mins
  Cook 30 mins
• Skill Level Moderately easy
• Servings Makes 12

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  175

• Protein

  5g

• Carbs

  24g

• Fat

  7g

• Saturates

  2g

• Fibre

  8g

• Sugar

  18g

• Salt

  1g

Ingredients

• 700g strong bread flour, plus extra 5 tbsp for crosses and dusting
• 3 x 7g sachets fast-action dried yeast
• 500ml warm whole milk
• 140g mature cheddar, grated
• 5 tbsp grated Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative)

Directions

1. Mix the flour, yeast and 2 tsp salt in a big bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk. Mix with a wooden spoon, then your hands, to a soft dough. Knead for 10 mins, then put back in the bowl. Lightly cover with oiled cling film and leave somewhere warm-ish until doubled in size-about 30 mins.
2. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead in most of the cheese. Dust a large, flat baking sheet with flour. Shape the dough into 12 round buns and arrange on the sheet with a 2-3cm gap between each. Loosely cover with another sheet of lightly oiled cling film and leave to prove until nearly doubled in size.
3. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Mix the 5 tbsp flour for the crosses with the Parmesan and 5 tbsp water. Spoon into a disposable piping bag and pipe a line along each row of buns, then repeat in the other direction to make crosses. Scatter with the remaining cheddar and bake for 20-25 mins until golden. To reheat from frozen, warm in a low oven before serving.

Categories: Cakes & Baking, Events