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Easter is early this year and if you’re hosting then you’ll need to start planning! We love the idea of incorporating a foraged birds nest, feathers, home dyed chicken eggs and freshly picked yellow flowers into your table decoration.

Making your own Hot Cross Buns always impresses so we’ve asked Fiona (Simmer on the Bay chef) to share her go to recipe for inspiration.

Ingredients
4 cups of plain flour
2 x 7g sachets dried yeast
¼ cup caster sugar
1 ½ teaspoons mixed spice
Pinch of salt
1 ½ cups of currants
40g butter
300ml milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Flour Paste
½ cup plain flour
4-5 tbsp. water glaze

Glaze
1/3 cup water
2 tbsp. caster sugar

butter to serve

Method

Step 1 combine flour, yeast, sugar, mixed spice, salt and currants in a large bowl. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add milk. Heat for 1 minute or until lukewarm. Add warm milk mixture and eggs to currant mixture. Use a flat-bladed knife to mix until dough comes together. Use clean hands to finish mixing to form a soft dough.

Step 2 Turn dough out onto a floured surface.  Knead for 10 minutes, or until dough is smooth. Place into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm, draught free place for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until dough doubles in size.

Step 3 Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Punch dough down to its original size. Knead for 30 seconds on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Divide into 12 even portions. Shape each portion into a ball. Place balls onto lined tray, about 1 cm apart. Cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm, draught free place for 30 mins or until buns double in size. Pre-heat over to 190°C or 170°C fan-force.

Step 4 Make flour paste: Mix flour and water together in a small bowl until smooth, adding a little more water if paste is too thick. Spoon into a small snap lock bag. Snip off 1 corner of bag. Pipe flour over tops of buns to form crosses. Bake for 20-25 mins or until buns are cooked through.

Step 5 Make glaze: Place water and sugar into a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Boil for 3-4 minutes. Bruch warm glaze over warm hot cross buns. Serve warm or at room temperature. These buns are best eaten on the day made. Otherwise freeze for up to 7 days. To defrost in microwave place 1 hot cross bun onto a sheet of paper towel. Heat uncovered for 45 – 50 seconds on Medium-low (defrost) 30% power and then stand for 1 minute.