3 delicious Easter bakes

Treat your family to these gorgeous Easter bakes. One luxurious dough becomes 3 delicious treats.

Basic enriched dough

Cooking time: 2 hours

Serves: 8

• 65g white sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 10g yeast
• 1½ tsp cinnamon
• 1½ tsp mixed spice
• zest of 2 lemons
• zest of 2 oranges
• 770g bread flour
• 420ml lukewarm full cream milk
• 100g butter, melted
• 1 egg

1. Combine the sugar, salt, yeast, cinnamon, mixed spice, lemon zest, orange zest and bread flour in a mixer with a dough hook. Whisk the milk, butter and egg together until well combined.
2. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix for 10 minutes, or until the dough is soft and elastic.
3. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and leave to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

SEE ALSO: Feast on Easter treats

Chocolate hot cross buns

Cooking time: 1½ hours

Serves: 12

• 1 batch basic enriched dough
• 100g dark chocolate, chopped
• 100g cranberries
• For the crosses
• 60g bread flour
• 60ml water
• For the glaze
• 60g white sugar
• 60ml water
• ½ tsp mixed spice

1. Heat the oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Roll the basic dough out and sprinkle with dark chocolate and cranberries. Fold the dough to enclose the filling and knead until the chocolate and cranberries are well combined.
3. Divide the dough into 12 rolls. Place on the baking tray. Leave to rise for 20 minutes.
4. For the cross paste; whisk together the bread flour and water until it forms a smooth paste. Place the paste in a piping bag with a small nozzle. Pipe a cross on each bun.
5. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
6. For the glaze; combine the sugar, water and mixed spice in a saucepan over a medium heat. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil; boil for 1 minute.
7. Glaze the hot cross buns when they come out of the oven.

SEE ALSO: Bread and Butter Pudding

Plaited breakfast bread

Cooking time: 1½ hours

Serves: 3 small loaves or 1 large loaf

• 1 batch basic enriched dough
• 50g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
• 50g almonds, roughly chopped
• 150g Turkish fig, chopped
• 1 egg
• 20g faked almond

1. Heat the oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Roll the basic dough out and sprinkle with pistachio nuts, almonds and fig. Fold the dough to enclose the filling and knead until the nuts and figs are well combined.
3. Divide the dough in 3 pieces. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll each piece into a 30-cm rope.
4. Pinch the ends of the dough together, tuck the pinched end under the loaf. Plait the dough using the 3 strands.
5. Pinch the ends together and tuck them under the bread. Place the bread on the baking tray and leave to rise for 20 minutes or until puffy.
6. Whisk the egg with a pinch of salt. Brush the bread with the egg wash and sprinkle with flaked almonds. Bake in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked.

Tropical doughnuts

Cooking time: 1½ hours

Serves: 24

• 1 batch basic enriched dough
• 100g tropical mix
• 50g desiccated coconut
• 50g castorsugar
• oil for frying

SEE ALSO: Easy to make cinnamon doughnuts

1. Roll the basic dough out and sprinkle with tropical mix. Fold the dough to enclose the filling and knead until the tropical mix is well combined.
2. Mix the desiccated coconut and castor sugar in a bowl, set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a deep fat fryer or large sauce pan to 190°C. Pinch off ping-pong-sized balls of the dough and fry in batches of 4 for 2 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked. Drain on paper towel. Toss the doughnuts in the coconut and sugar mixture until well coated. Serve immediately.