Use 2 cups instead of the sultanas (any more and you end up with quite a gooey melted chocolate centre!

You can make this recipe with any type of yeast – rapid rise, instant, active dry or even fresh yeast. Tastes and looks just like the classic version (see above), except they rise marginally less (you can only tell if you have both side by side), and the dough takes longer to rise. If using a gas stove, make sure it’s on a stable heat proof surface and in a clear and open area, with plenty of ventilation. Add the butter to a separate pan and place over a low heat for a few minutes, or until melted, then set aside.

When you’re ready to serve, toast the remaining 3 buns and use a cookie cutter to cut 3 rounds of ice-cream. If someone’s struggling with the baking section of this activity, they could work with a partner, so they can help each other. Stand it at room temperature for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so, to make a “flying sponge”.

The dough has more ingredients (to make the end result as similar as possible) and the buns don't keep quite as well – they dry out a bit faster (Note 6), but easy to resurrect by reheating! You can also become something of a hot cross bun heretic and change the filling completely, to something like chocolate chips, but the less talk of that the better. Eostre was a voluptuous blonde maiden, always depicted surrounded by little birds, bunnies and other baby animals, as well as spring flowers. When ready to make the dough add the remaining bread flour, yeast, spices, sugar and salt to the bowl of the Wilfa Probaker and whisk together to combine.Once the dough has rested, cut it into 12 x 70-80g pieces and roll each into equally sized round balls. Using a teaspoon, dribble two lines over the buns in the indent of the cross, and then bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Place the flour for the crosses in a bowl, add the salt along with 60 ml of your water, and mix with a spoon until you have a smooth, lump-free consistency. Another tradition states that a hot cross bun was always kept from the batch baked on Good Friday, in case anyone in the family became ill during the next year.Drain the fruit and place it with the mixed peel, orange and lemon zest, and mix it all together before leaving it to infuse. Make sure you've checked everyone's dietary requirements and allergies then adapted the recipe as appropriate. It’s only a few weeks now until the Easter bank holiday weekend, so it seems a good time to be digging out the hot cross bun recipes. This increases the chance of the fuel burning without enough oxygen present, increasing the risk of carbon monoxide exposure .

Supermarkets love to stretch the traditional period these glorious buns are available, but when you go to bakeries and to home kitchens, they are still only made in a relatively short window. They can also be frozen in an airtight container, with pieces of baking parchment in between the layers (or wrapped individually, if preferred) for up to one month. Add the milk and 50ml water to a small pan and place over a low heat for a few minutes, or until slightly warm – you should be able to dip your finger in without scalding it.

Don’t forget to make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.