Hot Cross Buns

One a penny, two a penny hot cross buns....

There was this more than half packet of mixed fruit left over after baking a cake and I was looking for a recipe (other than cake) to use them.  I thought of a fruit bun and subsequently found the recipe* of hot cross buns.

The  buns have spice and are also sweetish and traditionally made on Good Friday ( all this I read, after I had baked them).  The cross was originally  incised on the bun before baking.  But now most of them are piped on like I did.  And folklore states that if baked on Good Friday, they will never go mouldy, bring prosperity, and if shared you will have an everlasting friendship etc etc.

Anyway, hot cross buns are extremely tasty and are no longer restricted to Easter but are made and enjoyed all year round

                                                    (Just out of the oven)
Ingredients:  Makes 8

Mixed Dried Fruit - 85 gms
Orange zest - 1 small orange
Dried yeast - 3.5-4 gms
Caster sugar - 85 gms
Milk - 150 ml warm
Unsalted butter - 35 gms + 1 tbsp ( I used mildly salted butter)
Strong white bread flour - 300 gms
Egg - 1
Plain flour - 25 gms
Salt - pinch ( I omitted this since I used salted butter)
Mixed spice - 1 1/2 tsp ( I did not have mixed spice but used instead a mixture of cinnamon, ginger )

Mix the dried fruit and orange zest and keep aside.
Put yeast in a small bowl along with a tbsp of sugar, pour 2 tbsp of warm milk.  It will begin to foam in 5-10 minutes
Whisk together ( or use a food processor) the flour, 55 g sugar, mixed spice, and softened butter till it resembles bread crumbs.
Put in a large bowl, make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture and remaining milk.  Mix.  It should form a sticky dough.  Add more milk if necessary.
Put onto a floured surface ( I try to use less flour and use a little olive oil instead to knead) - knead for about 10 minutes
Add the dried fruit mixture in small amounts till all is added and the dough is well combined and is smooth and elastic.
Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film.  Leave in warm place for an hour or more till double in size.
Then knock the dough
Press into a rectangular shape.  Divide and shape into 8 balls of equal size.
Place almost touching on a baking tray that has been  lined with parchment.
Cover with damp towel and leave in a warm place until double in size.  The balls of dough will join together also. This may take upto an hour.
Preheat the oven to 200 C.
Make an egg solution with the yolk and a little milk
Brush the buns lightly with the solution.
Form a paste with plain flour, a tbsp of melted butter and 2 tbsp of water.  Put in piping bag and pipe a cross on top of each bun.
Place tray in oven.  Bake for 5 minutes and then reduce temperature to 170C and bake for 10-15 minutes till  well risen and golden.
Remove from oven and cool on wire rack
In a small pan, gently heat remaining sugar (25 gms) and tsp of water to dissolve.  Bring to boil and then brush this on the cooled buns.
Allow to cool completely before serving

*Recipe source -  Sainsbury's

For variation - they have been made with toffee, apple and cinnamon, orange and cranberry.  Some have used chocolate chips instead of dried fruit.  It is all up to you !