Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns

When you're hungry and you crave for bread and something sweet, hot cross buns usually comes up top of my list. It's fast, it's easy and it's delicious.

I adapted the recipe from Le Cordon Bleu Home Collection- Bread.

Hot cross buns- makes 16

30g fresh yeast/ 1 tablespoon dried yeast
180ml milk
500g plain flour

2 teaspoons of mixed spice (I didn't have mixed spice with me, so I used cinnamon powder, ginger powder, and milo powder, haha. works well too.)
60g sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs beatened
120g butter, softened
120g sultanas

Topping and Glaze

4 tablespoons plain flour
6 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons milk
1/2 tablespoon mixed spice (likewise, I used cinnamon, ginger and milo powder)

Method:

1. Prepare yeast with milk by mixing yeast into milk and leaving them in bain marie for 20 minutes.

2. Sieve the flour, mixed spice, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Add yeast mixture and egg to the well and gradually bring the mixture together. Knead the mixture for about 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Knead the softened butter into the dough until it is fully incorporated and the dough is silky and soft.

3. Return the dough to a clean bowl.Cover with a clean, damp towel and allow to prove at room temperature until double in size, or leave overnight in the refrigerator.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead in the sultanas until they are evenly distributed. Divide into sixteen equal-sized pieces and roll each piece on the work surface in the hollow of your hand until it forms a round and smooth ball. Butter a baking tray and place the buns slightly apart on the tray. Cover with a damp towel and allow to rise again until nearly double in size again (the buns will be touching when ready). Towards the end of this time, preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

5. To make the topping and glaze, mix together the flour, 4 tablespoons of sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of water to form a smooth thick paste. Place in a piping bag fitted with a small plain nozzle and pipe the paste across the proved buns in continuous straight lines so that each bun has a cross on top.

6. Bake the buns for 10-15 minutes, or until golden and hollow sounding when tapped at the base. Meanwhile heat milk, remaining sugar and mixed spice in a small pan until the sugar has dissolved. Brush this glaze over the buns as they come out of the oven. Remove from tray and cool on a wire rack, then brush again with glaze.

Serve plain or split and toasted with some butter.

End.