Easy Hot Cross Buns

Instructions

MIX THE BASE DOUGH: Stir the yeast into the warm milk until dissolved. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the milk and yeast mixture with the flour, sugar, zest, spices, salt, and egg. Mix with a dough hook for 5 minutes on medium speed until until well combined.
200 ml full-fat milk, 21 g fresh yeast, 500 g bread flour, 50 g white sugar, zest of 1 lemon or orange, 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp mixed spice, 1 tsp ground allspice, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 large egg
ADD THE BUTTER: Add the soft butter in pieces, and continue kneading for another 5 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (After 5 minutes, the dough should be moving freely around the bowl of the mixer and only lightly sticky. If it is still liquid or sticking to the sides of the bowl, add one tablespoon of flour and knead for another minute.)
50 g unsalted butter
BULK FERMENTATION: When the dough has finished kneading, shape it into a ball - it should feel soft, springy and elastic - don't worry if it's a little sticky; this is normal. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in size - around 1 hour.
ADD THE FRUIT: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Flatten gently, sprinkle over the dried fruit and peel, fold the dough in half, and gently knead until the fruit is evenly distributed through the dough.
100 g raisins or sultanas, 100 g dried apricot, 2 Tbsp candied orange peel
HEAT THE OVEN: Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F (160° Fan force) and line a rectangular dish with baking paper. Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface, and divide it into 8 equal portions (I find it is always easier to weigh the pieces to ensure the hot cross buns are uniform in size).
SHAPE THE DOUGH: Roll each piece of dough into a tight ball and place it into the prepared baking dish - barely touching each other. Cover the dish with a clean cloth and allow it to rise for half an hour while you prepare the paste for the crosses.
BAKE: To make the crosses, stir together the flour and water in a small bowl to make a thick paste. Spoon the paste into a piping bag or disposable freezer bag (you'll need to snip off the corner of the bag) and carefully pipe crosses onto the buns. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until the tops are deep golden brown and the buns are well-risen.
50 g plain or all-purpose flour, 4-5 Tbsp water
GLAZE: While the buns are baking, stir together the ingredients for the glaze. As soon as you take the buns out of the oven, use a pastry brush to generously brush the glaze over the top of the buns while they are still piping hot.
2 Tbsp white sugar, 3 Tbsp hot water
COOL AND SERVE: Allow to cool a little, then enjoy warm, slathered with salted butter.

Notes

If you don't have a kitchen machine, stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms. Turn out onto a floured surface, dust the dough with a tablespoon of flour and knead by hand for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add extra flour as necessary, so the dough isn't too sticky. Knead the fruit and sultanas through at the end..
Adding salt to the dough counteracts the sweetness of the fruit and gives flavour. If you are particularly sensitive to salt, consider reducing the amount to ½ tsp.
Imperial and Cup measurements are approximate. I recommend using a digital scale like the one below for the best and most accurate results.

Ingredients

FOR THE CROSSES:

FOR THE GLAZE:

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition