Gluten-free Hot Cross Buns

These fruity bakes are just as delicious when you make some simple swaps to make them wheat-free.

Makes: 15 Prep: 30 minutes Bake`: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 500g gluten and wheat-free bread flour, plus extra for dusting

• 1tsp salt

• 75g caster sugar

• 2tsp quick or fast-action yeast

• 50g unsalted butter, softened

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 300ml full-fat milk, plus 2 tbsp more

• 1tbsp sunflower oil

• 1tsp olive oil

• 75g sultanas

• 50g chopped mixed peel

• Finely grated zest of 1 orange

• 1 apple, peeled, cored and diced

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the crosses

• 30g gluten and wheat-free plain flour

For the glaze

• 3tbsp apricot jam

Method

1. Bring the milk to the boil, then remove from the heat and add to the butter. Leave to cool until it reaches hand temperature. Mix the flour, salt, sugar and yeast with the warm milk and egg in a mixer with a dough attachment, or with a wooden spoon, then bring together the dough with your hands. Don't knead!

2. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size and a finger pressed into it leaves a dent.

3. Tip in the olive oil, sultanas, mixed peel, orange zest, apple and cinnamon and mix into a dough. Shape into buns by lightly oiling your hands and dividing the dough into 100g pieces before rolling into balls. Leave to rise for another hour.

4. Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7. Mix the flour with about 3 tbsp of water to make the paste for the cross - add the water 1 tbsp at a time, so you add just enough for a thick paste. Spoon into a piping bag with a small nozzle. Pipe a line along each row of buns, then repeat in the other direction to create crosses. Bake for 20 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven, until golden brown.

5. Gently heat the apricot jam to melt, then sieve to get rid of any chunks. While the jam is still warm, brush over the top of the warm buns and serve.