Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients

5 tsp active yeast
1 ½ cups warm milk
4 ¼ cups plain flour
50g unsalted butter
1 tbsp. cinnamon powder
1 tbsp. mixed spice
½ tsp salt
½ cup sugar
1 ½ cups mixture of Sultanas/mixed peel/currants
1 egg

Cross Ingredients

¼ cup self –raising flour
¼ cup cold water

Glaze Ingredients

4 tbsp. sugar
4 tbsp. water

Method

Add the yeast to the warm milk, give it a gentle stir and leave to activate for 5 minutes.
 
Using an electric mixer with dough hook add to the bowl the flour, chopped unsalted butter, sugar, spices and salt. Once the milk yeast mixture has activated, add the egg and mix to combine. Mix/knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
 
If mixing by hand, you will start with a very sticky mix, but don’t add any more flour. Just keep kneading it on your bench and it will form a ball that you can knead for 8-10 minutes until you have smooth and elastic dough.

Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave in a warm place until doubled in size, approximately 1.5 hours.

On a clean floured bench, knead into the dough the raisin, currants and mixed peel. Do not over knead.

Divide the mix into 24 (approximately 120g in weight) and shape into even round buns. Place evenly on a lined baking tray and leave in a warm place until doubled in size, approximately 1 – 1.5 hours.

Preheat the NEFF oven to 200 degrees on CircoTherm, hot air or fan bake

Cross Method

Make the cross paste by mixing together the self-rising flour and water until smooth, and then gently spoon the paste into a piping bag. Just before placing the buns in a hot oven, pipe the paste mix onto the buns to make the cross. Bake the buns for 20 minutes.

Sugar syrup

Make the sugar syrup by bringing the sugar and water to a boil and ensuring the sugar has dissolved (be careful this is extremely hot). Allow the Hot Cross Buns to cool for 5 minutes, then brush the tops with the sugar syrup.