The residents at Cedar Lodge tried their hand at bun making this Easter weekend.
Unlike baking a cake, we learnt how creating the perfect hot cross bun is not as simple as it seems. Buns, it appears, demand multiple rounds of mixing, kneading and proofing. If we were going to enjoy hot cross buns this Easter, it was going to be a team effort involving the whole of Cedar Lodge!
Preparation started early in the morning. At first light, our cook Lisa came in to mix the first ingredients: warm milk, butter, flour, beaten egg along with sprinkles of sugar and salt. Lisa kneaded the sticky dough and left it to prove for an hour – ready for when the residents woke up to start baking!
After breakfast, the dining room was cleared and our residents donned their aprons and rolled up their sleeves. With a little help from Jess and Michelle from our care team, residents stirred in juicy sultanas, as well as tangy orange peel and zest, chopped apple and a spoonful of ground cinnamon.
After proofing for a further hour, we got to the fun part! Mixing flour and water, residents piped the trademark crosses onto their buns, each piping with their own signature style. We baked until golden brown and then glazed the buns with apricot jam for that irresistible finish.
Making buns was a lovely way to conclude the Easter break. But as well as being a tasty treat, we found that baking was a great way to keep both our minds and bodies active. We look forward to sharing our next culinary creations with you soon!
