Easter Recipe Special: Hot Cross Buns

927

Yield: 12

INGREDIENTS

For dough:

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
1 tablespoon dry instant yeast
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon fine table salt
½ cup currants (substitute with raisins)
¾ cup warm whole milk (110 – 115 degrees F), plus extra if needed
½ cup white or brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

For glaze:

3 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons room temperature water
¾ cup icing/powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lime/lemon juice (milk or water can be substituted)

DIRECTIONS

For dough:

Mix together the flour, yeast, spices and salt in a large bowl; blend well.
Toss in currants and mix evenly to distribute in flour mixture.
Add sugar to milk and stir to dissolve.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; pour in the milk-sugar mixture along with the eggs and melted butter and bring together the ingredients to form a dough. Add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time if need. Turn the dough on to a floured work surface and knead for 5 minutes.
Place the dough in a large, oiled bowl, rub oil all over – the top and sides of the dough, cover and put somewhere warm and draft free to rise for 1 ½ to 2 hours depending on your location. The dough should more than double in size.
Brush a 9 x 13 baking dish with oil and set aside.
Punch down risen dough to deflate it and cut into 12 equal pieces. Form each piece of dough into a ball and assemble in the dish. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a very large (new) plastic bag and place some place warm and let rise for 45 minutes.
20 minutes before the hour is up, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
If scoring the buns, do so before brushing with sugar water.

For glaze & baking:

Mix together the sugar and water and brush the buns just before adding the dish to the oven.
Bake for 20 minutes then brush with remaining sugar-water and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes until brown and shiny.
Remove dish from oven and rest for 15 minutes then turn buns on to a wire rack (intact) to cool to room temperature.
Mix together the icing sugar and lime/lemon juice or water or milk. Transfer to a piping bag or a new zip bag and snip one end. Pipe icing over the buns in the design you prefer. Or simply spoon the icing over the buns.