Bread flour is made from a different kind of wheat from cake flour, so it’s worth looking for it.

You can use white or brown, even granary, but if you use wholemeal get the finely ground stuff, or make about a third of the weight up with white flour, or your buns will be rather dense.

Oh, and however much you like cinnamon, don’t be tempted to increase the amount, as the yeast won’t like it.

It will sulk, and you’ll get flat buns, and not the kind they talk about on American diet food ads.

Speaking of yeast, try to get the kind you don’t have to prove but can add straight to the flour.

Otherwise, just follow the instructions on the pack.

Ingredients:

- 330 gms/12 ozs bread flour
- 55 gms/2 ozs sugar
- 55 gms/2 ozs currants
- 55 gms/2 ozs candied peel
- 1 egg
- 140ml/ ¼ pint milk
- tsp cinnamon
- tbsp dried yeast
- 3 tbsp butter (softened) or soft margarine

What to do
In a large bowl or food processor mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and yeast.

Add milk and butter, and mix well.

Add the egg, mix well again, and lastly add the currants and candied fruit.

Knead, but not too vigorously, gently for about 10 minutes.

Leave to rise in a warm place in a greased bowl covered with a tea towel for an hour.

Punch it down so much of the air is released, then divide into eight balls, and carve a deep cross-shaped groove on top of each one.

Cover with the tea towel again and leave to stand until they have doubled in size or an hour has passed, whichever comes first.

The doubling should only take half an hour, but it varies with temperature and other conditions.

Don’t leave them longer than an hour, however, or they’ll collapse.

If the cross has become too obscured, gently coax it back into visibility.

Put the oven on to preheat to 350°F/175°C/Mark 4 when they’ve been standing about 15 minutes.