Sharing my recipe for hot cross buns.

Ingredients:

Buns:
50g + 5g caster sugar
150ml lukewarm water
9g active dry yeast (not easy-blend/fast acting)
450g plain flour
6g fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground mixed spice
40g currants
40g dried cranberries
50g cut mixed peel
55g full-fat milk, warmed
50g beaten egg (approximately 1 medium)
50g melted butter

Crosses:
100g plain flour
Enough water to make a paste (piping consistency)

Glaze:
50g light brown soft sugar
40g water
Juice of half a lemon

Recipe:

Dissolve the yeast and 5g sugar in the lukewarm water and set aside until frothy. Sift the dry ingredients in a large bowl, and add the remaining caster sugar, dried fruit and peel. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the yeast mixture, warm milk, egg, and melted butter. Bring the mixture together into a shaggy dough. Turn out onto a very lightly floured surface and knead until it feels smooth and elastic, this can also be done in a food mixer with the dough hook. Place the dough into a bowl, cover with cling film or a damp tea towel, and set aside to rise until doubled in size.

Pat the dough down and divide into 12 portions approximately 80g each. Shape each portion into a ball, place onto a baking sheet lined with nonstick baking paper, cover loosely with cling film or a damp tea towel, and set aside to rise a second time until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees fan.

Mix the flour and water to make a thick, but pipe-able paste. Transfer mixture to a piping bag, cut just the tip off to make an approximately 3-cm opening. Pipe a cross on the buns and bake for approximately 16 minutes until golden brown.

While the buns are baking, stir the brown sugar, water, and lemon juice over in a saucepan over a low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and boil to make a thin syrup. Brush the syrup over the buns while they are still warm from the oven.

Let’s Bake Together!

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