Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns are a traditional Good Friday sweet, yeast leavened, spicy bun eaten at breakfast time hot from the oven. They are made with dried or candied fruit such as currants, sultanas, raisins or orange and marked with a cross on the top. I have over the years produced an abundance of hot cross buns at my bakery for satisfied customers and this is my recipe for home kitchens.

Ingredients Makes 12

4 cups plain flour (600g)

2 x 7g sachets dried yeast

1/4 cup caster sugar (55g)

2 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp salt (5g)

1 1/2 cups sultanas

40 g butter

300 ml milk

2 eggs (100g)

Flour paste

1/2 cup plain flour (75g)

4 to 5 tablespoons water (75g)

Glaze

1/3 cup water (50g)

2 tablespoons caster sugar (30g)

1 tsp mixed spice

Method

Combine flour, yeast, sugar, mixed spice and salt in a large bowl. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat, add milk and heat until lukewarm (32ºC). Pour warm milk mixture to the flour, mix together then add eggs. Using your hands mix until the dough comes together and knead the dough for approx. 3 min on a floured surface to form soft dough. Add sultanas and knead until sultanas are incorporated in the dough. Return dough to a lightly floured bowl and cover with food wrap. Set aside in a warm place for approx 60 min. or until dough has doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 190°C grease or line a baking tray with baking paper. Place dough on the working surface and divide into 12 even portions.  Knead and shape each dough pieces into a round ball. Place the balls closely together on the baking tray. Cover with food wrap or a tea towel. Set aside in a warm place for approx 30 minutes or until buns double in size.

Meanwhile make the flour paste by mixing flour and water together with a spoon in a bowl. Spoon into a snap lock bag and cut one corner of the bag. Pipe the mixture over tops of the buns to form crosses. Place in the oven and bake for approx 20 min.

In the meantime make the glaze by placing water, sugar and spice in a pot and bring to the boil. Brush glaze oven the buns straight from the oven. Serve warm with butter.

Note: These buns are best eaten the same day but can be toasted the next day or placed in plastic bags and frozen.

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