Easter recipes

Triple cheese hot cross buns

Heat 150ml whole milk, 50g cubed butter and 75ml water in a small pan over a low heat for 1-2 minutes until the butter is starting to melt. Remove from the heat and stir until the butter has melted completely. Leave to cool slightly – it should be just warm to the touch rather than hot.
In a large bowl, combine 450g strong white flour with 1 teaspoon salt and 7g fast-action dried yeast. Make a well in the centre, then pour in the milk mixture and 1 large beaten egg. Mix together with a wooden spoon to form a rough dough.
Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for around 10 minutes until soft, smooth and elastic. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
Once the dough has risen, knock it back by gently punching out the air, then tip out onto a lightly floured work surface. Flatten the dough slightly and scatter over 75g grated mature Cheddar, 35g grated Parmesan, 75g crumbled feta and 20g finely cut chives, pressing into the dough. Pull up the edges of the dough to enclose the cheese and herb mix, then knead for 2 minutes to evenly distribute the cheese throughout the dough.
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces (around 75g each) and shape each into a round bun. Transfer to a large baking sheet lined with non-stick baking paper, placing the buns quite close together, but not touching. Cover loosely with oiled cling film. Leave to rise again in a warm place for 45-50 minutes. Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C.
Lightly brush the tops of the risen buns with milk. Mix the 8 tablespoons strong white flour with 7 tablespoons water to make a smooth paste. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle (or use a disposable bag and snip a small hole in one corner). Pipe a line across each row of buns, then repeat in the other direction to create crosses. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, or serve slightly warm.