hot cross buns
perfect fresh, or toasted with loads of butter! These are the
lightest buns i have ever tried. using the oil makes it easy to make the dough as you don't need to work butter into the flour. using honey for the glaze adds a sweet, sticky and slighty crunchy bite. delicious!
ingredients
for the buns
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200ml milk
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2 x 7g sachets of fast acting yeast
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455g strong white flour
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1 tsp salt
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1 tsp mixed spice
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1 tsp ground cinnamon
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1 whole nutmeg
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55g caster sugar
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2 balls stem ginger
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1 large egg
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55g sulatanas and 30g dried cranberries (or 85g of mixed dried fruit)
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2 tbsp mixed peel
for the cross
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75g plain flour
for the glaze
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2 tsp local honey
HOW TO MAKE....
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add the milk and 50ml of water to a pan and put it on a low heat to warm it up
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add the yeast and the oil to the milk
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in a mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, sugar, spices and nutmeg
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finely chop the stem ginger and add to the flour and mix it all together
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pour the milk mixture into the flour
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in a separate bowl, beat the egg and then add it to the flour and milk
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mix it all together to make a sticky dough
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turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for 10 mins until the dough is smooth and elastic (or use a stand mixer with a dough hook on the knead setting)
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put the dough into a lighly oiled bowl, cover it and put it in a warm room or airing cupboard to prove for at least 30 mins, until it has doubled in size
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once proved, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, knock the air out of it, then sprinkle the dried fruit over the dough and it into the dough for 1 to 2 mins. (or put the dough and fruit into the stand mixer with a dough hook on the knead setting)
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divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and make them into a ball, placing them on a baking parchment on a baking tray. space them out so that they will just touch each other once risen
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cover them and place them in a warm room to prove again for 30 mins
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while they are proving, mix the paste for the cross. add the plain flour to a small jug or bowl, adding water one tablespoon at a time while mixing. add enough water to make a thick paste.
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pre heat the oven to 190 celcius
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put the flour paste into a piping bag with a small nozzle on ( or use a sandwich bag with a corner cut off)
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pipe the flour paste onto the buns to make the cross
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place the buns in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 mins, until golden
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place on a rack to cool, while they are still warm brush them with the honey glaze