Bovril and Cheese Hot Cross Buns

What To Do

Sprinkle the yeast over a little of the water, add the bovril and mix until combined.

Place the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl, make a well in the middle and add the egg and yeast mixture. Whisk using a fork to mix the egg and then begin mixing in the flour. Once the mixture comes together continue to knead with your hand until a ball forms. Remove from the bowl and knead on a lightly floured counter until smooth, roughly 10 minutes. Lightly oil the bowl and place the dough back into it. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place to double in size.

Once doubled, remove from the bowl and place on a lightly floured counter. Press firmly into the dough to knock out the air and flatten the dough. Place the 2/3 of the cheese in the centre of the dough and fold the dough over it. Begin to knead the dough, working the mixture into the dough until evenly distributed and incorporated.

Now divide the dough into 10 equal size balls, place in a lightly oiled baking dish (allowing space between them to rise). Cover with plastic wrap allow to rise for a further 30minutes until doubled in size. At this point preheat the oven to 200’c.

Make the paste by mixing the flour, water, bovril and olive oil together. You may need to adjust the water or flour slightly. It should be loose enough to pipe but still hold its shape once piped.

Place the crossing paste into a piping bag. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the buns and carefully pipe the paste crosses over each of the buns. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until risen and golden brown or hallow sounding when tapped.

While the buns bake make the glaze. Place the water, honey and Bovril in a microwaveable bowl and heat for 15-30secs to melt the honey.

Remove the buns from the oven and brush generously with the honey glaze. Serve slightly cooled but still warm with butter