IF you are looking for advice on how to create the best hot crossed buns this Easter, it is hard to think of anyone better than the Great British Bake Off judge and bread expert Paul Hollywood.

When we spoke to Paul about his live tour recently – he’s at Fairfield Halls in Croydon on May 24 – we picked his brains for some top tips on the seasonal treat.

And he doesn’t recommend heading to the shops.

He said: “I made some last week and I used fresh fruit as well as dried fruit and I used apricot jam on the top.

“They were delicious and beat any bought ones.”

One of the sticking points, he said, is often the cross on the top.

He said: “Make your piping of your line across the top as thin as possible, because traditionally it’s just flour and water.

“You can add a little bit of sugar to it as well.

He added: “If you don’t want to use the dough - because it can go quite leathery if you make them to thick, so make them very thin - use some sweet paste and mould two crosses on it. That’ll break very easily and be quite short.”

For information and tickets to Paul Hollywood's Get Your Bake On Live Tour go to paulhollywood.com