Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients
4 cups high grade flour
1 tsp salt
½ tsp each ground allspice, mixed spice, cinnamon, nutmeg (I like mine quite cinnamony so will add more!)
¼ cup brown sugar
1½ tsp dried yeast
1 cup warm milk
100 grams softened butter
2 eggs
1 cup raisins or chocolate chips or mixed fruit
Cross paste
½ cup flour
1 tblsp butter
¼ tsp baking powder
about ¼ cup milk
Sugar Glaze
2 tblsp sugar
2 tblsp hot milk
Method
Put the flour, salt, spices and brown sugar into a big bowl and mix together.
Stir the yeast and milk together and set aside in a warm place for 15 minutes or until the mixture is frothy.
Beat the eggs and softened butter into the frothy mixture.
Pour the yeast mixture into the flour mixture and mix vigorously to form a soft dough. Mix the mixture for 1 minute. Add the raisins and mix in well.
Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with greased gladwrap. Set aside in a warm place for about 1 hour until the dough has doubled in size.
Place the dough onto a lightly floured board and divide into 16 equal portions. Roll into balls and place on a greased baking tray with about 1-cm between each bun.
Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside in a warm place for another 30 minutes until well risen. Brush with milk and pipe thin crosses of Cross Paste (instructions below) on top of the buns.
Bake at 190ºC for about 20-25 minutes. Just before taking out of the oven, spread some sugar glaze over them (instructions below). Cool on a cake rack.
Cross paste
Sift flour and baking powder together. Rub in butter. Stir in enough milk to make a thick batter that can be piped.
Sugar glaze
Dissolve 2 tablespoons sugar in 2 tablespoons hot milk.
