Makes 6 buns

Ingredients

• 35g margarine
• 25g caster sugar
• 1/2 cup lukewarm plant-based milk
• 1 tsp dried fast-action yeast
• 200g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp ground mixed spice
• 75g dried mixed fruit peel
• sunflower oil, for greasing

To decorate

• 1 Tbs white flour
• 1 Tbs cocoa
• 3/4 tsp maple syrup
• a little water

Method

1. Heat the margarine in a saucepan very gently until melted. Stir in the milk and sugar and remove from the heat. The milk should be lukewarm to activate the yeast. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk, stir and leave to stand for a few minutes.

2. Mix together the flour, salt and mixed spice in a large bowl. Pour the warm milk mixture into the flour mixture, stirring until the mixture forms a soft ball.

3. Turn onto a very lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes to make a smooth, pliable dough.
4. Knead the mixed fruit into the dough, a little at a time, for 2–3 minutes, or until evenly distributed.

5. Divide into 6 balls, around 75g each, and shape by tucking the surface underneath itself. Then flatten slightly into thick disks.
6. Transfer to a baking parchment, and space evenly with sufficient gaps between.
7. To make the decorative darker dough, add all the smaller ingredients, and mix into a dough form (only a tiny amount of water will be needed). Divide into 3 parts. Roll each of these into a ball, and then roll out each ball as thin as possible with a rolling pin, until they’re the diameter of thicker bun disks.
8. Split the disks into halves with a sharp knife, wet the underside, and smooth down and stick to half of the top of each bun.

9. Leave to rise in a warm place for 1½ hours, or until roughly doubled in size and spongy to touch.

10. Preheat the oven to 180s. 

11. Bake the buns in the centre of the oven for 20 minutes, or until risen and golden brown.
12. Brush the warm buns with maple syrup and leave to cool a little before eating. Once cold, they can also be toasted under a grill.
13. Eat with more margarine spread in the middle.

Notes:

• Based on vegan hot-cross buns from the BBC food website. Used to celebrate the equinox twice a year, whichever hemisphere you’re in.