Easter Hot Cross Buns

It’s nearly Easter and the shops are full of chocolate eggs. We’re still in lockdown here in London but now allowed to meet up with another household outdoors. We’ve arranged to go to my parents’ garden for lunch and I can’t wait! My sister’s cooking roast lamb and our son is getting excited about the egg hunt my mum has promised him.

In this clip, Dame Mary Berry (a national treasure and much-loved English food writer, chef, baker and TV presenter) finds out about the history of Hot Cross Buns and teaches us how to make them. She said that ‘Easter wouldn’t be Easter’ without them and discovers that they originated from St. Albans cathedral. In 1361, a monk called Thomas Rotcliff gave away small spiced cakes marked with a cross on Good Friday. She jokes that the abbey knew which side of the bun it’s butter was on as they weren’t very popular in the area and we’re trying to do a bit of PR! Apparently the secret recipe has been passed down and it’s still going strong. The cathedral now commissions a local baker to make them and they sell like hot cakes!

Mary Berry tells us that they are a bit of a palaver to make but says it’s definitely worth a try. You make the dough by mixing flour, sugar, spices, yeast, salt, lemon zest, an egg and milk together. Interestingly, you have to make sure that you put the yeast and the salt on opposite sides of the bowl as otherwise the dough won’t rise so well. You add the candied peel and sultanas and leave it to rise. You give it a quick knead and put it back in the bowl for a second rising. There’s a knack to rolling out the buns as you have to press them down and bring your hand up again.You then use a flour and water paste to pipe a cross on each one and pop them in the oven to bake.

Summary with vocab

It’s nearly Easter and the shops are full of chocolate eggs. We’re still in lockdown here in London but now allowed to meet up with anotherhouseholdoutdoors. We’ve arranged to go to my parents’ garden for lunch and I can’t wait! My sister’s cooking roast lamb and our son is getting excited about theegg huntmy mum has promised him.

In this clip, Dame Mary Berry (a national treasureandmuch-lovedEnglish food writer, chef, baker and TV presenter) finds out about the history ofHot Cross Bunsand teaches us how to make them. She said that ‘Easter wouldn’t be Easter’ without them and discovers that they originated from St. Albans cathedral. In 1361, amonkcalled Thomas Rotcliffgave awaysmall spicedcakes marked with a cross onGood Friday.She jokes that the abbey knew which side of the bun it’s butter was on as they weren’t very popular in the area and we’re trying to do a bit ofPR!Apparently the secret recipe has beenpassed downand it’s stillgoing strong.The cathedral now commissionsa local baker to make them and theysell like hot cakes!

Mary Berry tells us that they are a bit of apalaverto make but says it’s definitely worth a try. You make thedoughby mixing flour, sugar, spices, yeast,salt, lemon zest, an egg and milk together. Interestingly, you have to make sure that you put the yeast and the salt on opposite sides of the bowl as otherwise the dough won’triseso well. You add thecandied peelandsultanasand leave it to rise. You give it a quickkneadand put it back in the bowl for a secondrising. There’s aknackto rolling out the buns as you have to press them down and bring your hand up again.You then use a flour and water paste topipea cross on each one andpopthem in the oven to bake.

Glossary

Household (noun)

All the people that live together in a house or flat.

An egg hunt (noun)

A game in which children look for hidden chocolate eggs

A national treasure (noun)

A famous person who is loved by many people in a country, especially someone who has had a long public career

Much-loved (adj.)

Used for describing someone or something that is loved, respected by a lot of people

Hot Cross Buns (noun)

A sweet cake for one person traditionally eaten at Easter marked with a cross on the top.

Monk (noun)

A man that lives in a religious community away from other people

Give away (phrasal verb)

To give something to others for free

Spiced (adj)

Food that has spices in it

Good Friday (noun)

The Friday before Easter which Christians remember as the day that Jesus died

which side of the bun it’s butter was on (phrase)

The true phrase is ‘to know which side your bread is buttered on’, which means to know who to be nice to and what to do in order to get an advantage for yourself

P.R (noun)

Public Relations (the relationship between an organisation and the public.

Pass down (phrasal verb)

to give or teach something to your children or people younger than you, who will then give or teach it to those who live after them, and so on

Going strong (phrase)

successful, doing well

Commission (verb):

To pay someone to do something for you.

To sell like hot cakes (phrase)

To sell very quickly in large quantities

Palaver (noun)

Something that is difficult and causes you more trouble or work

worth a try (phrase)

There is a good enough reason to try making them

dough (noun)

A mixture of flour, water and fat that is used to make bread or pastry.

yeast (noun)

The substance that is used to make bread rise

Rise (verb)

If bread or cakes rise, they increase in size and height.

candied peel (noun)

Orange and lemon skin that has been boiled in sugar.

sultanas (noun)

A dried white grape

knead (verb)

To prepare dough by continually pressing and stretching it

rising (noun)

When the dough increases in size

A knack (noun)

A special way of doing something

To pipe (verb)

to decorate food, especially a cake, with thin lines of icing, etc. by forcing it out of a special bag or tube

To pop (verb)

To put

 

Questions

  1. Do you celebrate Easter? If so, how do you celebrate? What do you do?

  2. What are some Easter traditions in your country?

  3. What are your views about the way Easter has become commercialised?

  4. Have you tried Hot Cross Buns? If not, do you think you would like them?

  5. Do you enjoy baking? If so, what do you like making?