Hot Cross Buns
Makes 12
INGREDIENTS:
oil, for greasing
240ml milk
1 pack (7g) dry active yeast
120g caster sugar
300g plain flour
260g strong flour
100g black raisins
2 tablespoons candied lemon peel, cut into 5mm pieces
2 tablespoons candied orange peel, cut into 5mm pieces
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg yolk and
2 large eggs
100g icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 240°C/gas mark 9.
Coat a large bowl with oil and set aside. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
Make the dough. Whisk together half the milk, the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in a small bowl and leave to stand until bubbly. Combine the flours, remaining sugar, raisins, candied peels, spices and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook (or in a large mixing bowl) and mix on low speed. Add the butter, 2 eggs and the yeast mixture and continue to mix for about 3 minutes or until a sticky dough forms.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for about 5 minutes until smooth. (If you have combined the dough by hand increase the kneading time to 10 minutes.) Form the dough into a ball, place it in the prepared bowl and turn to coat all sides with oil. Cover with a clean, damp tea-towel and leave to rise in a warm, draught-free place for about 1 hour or until it doubles in volume.
Knock back the dough, place it on a lightly floured surface and knead for 3 minutes. Divide it into 12 equal pieces, each about 100g. Shape each piece into a ball and place these, about 2.5cm apart, in three rows of four on the prepared baking tray.
Cover and leave to rise for about 1¼ hours until the buns double in volume and touch each another.
In a small bowl combine the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water. Use a pastry brush and lightly brush the mixture on the top of each bun. Place the buns in the oven, reduce the temperature to 200°C/gas mark 6 and bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack.
In a small bowl combine the sugar, remaining milk and vanilla extract.
Stir until smooth. When the buns have cooled slightly, drizzle a horizontal line across each row of buns followed by a vertical line to form a cross on the crown of each one.
