HOT CROSS BUNS

Recipe posted by Michelle Feast
Photo: Michelle Feast

• For the buns:
• 1 tablespoon instant or rapid rise yeast (9 grams)
• ½ cup (110 g) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
• 1 ½ cups (375 ml) milk, warm, full fat or low fat
• 4 ¼ cups (640 g)bread flour (or plain / all purpose)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
• 2 teaspoons All Spice OR mixed spice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups (210 g) sultanas
• 1 – 2 oranges, zest only
• 50g / 3.5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 egg , at room temperature
• extra bread flour for dough
• ¼ cup (35 g) extra bread flour
• For the crosses:
• ½ cup (75g) flour (any white flour)
• 5 tablespoons water
• For the glaze:
• 1 tablespoon apricot jam
• 2 teaspoons water
• Place flour, yeast, sugar, all spice, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Briefly mix with stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add butter, milk, egg, sultanas and zest.
• Standmixer:
• Mix until a smooth elastic dough forms – 5 minutes on Speed 2 of standmixer. After 1 minute, add extra flour if required, just enough so dough comes away from side of bowl when mixing and doesn’t stick terribly to your fingers.
• Hand kneading:
• Alternatively, dust a work surface with flour and knead by hand for 10 minutes.
• Dough is kneaded enough when it’s smooth and does not break when stretched.
• Rise 1:
• Leave dough in the bowl, cover with cling wrap and place in a warm, wind free place to rise until doubled in size. This will take anywhere between 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours depending on how warm it is
• Forming Balls:
• Line a 31.5 x 23.5 cm / 9 x 13″ tray with baking paper with overhang.
• Remove cling wrap and punch dough to deflate.
• Dust work surface with flour, place dough on work surface, shape into a log – this will deflate the air. Cut into 12 equal pieces.
• Take one piece and press down with palm, then use your fingers to gather into a ball, then roll the dough briefly to form a ball. This stretches the dough on one side and that’s how I get a nice smooth surface.
• Place the ball with the smooth side up on the tray. Repeat with remaining dough. Line them up 3 x 4.
• Rise 2:
• Spray a piece of cling wrap lightly with oil (any), then loosely place over the tray.
• Return tray to warm place and leaver 30 – 45 minutes, until the dough has risen by about 75% (less than double in size).
• Partway through Rise 2, preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types).
• Crosses:
• Mix flour and water until a thick runny paste forms
• Spoon into a round 3 mm piping bag or small ziplock bag then snip corner.
• Remove the cling wrap and pipe crosses onto the buns. Go slow so it hugs the curves.
• Baking/Glaze:
• Bake for 22 minutes, or until the surface is a deep golden brown. The surface colour is the best test for this recipe.
• Meanwhile, place jam and water in a bowl, microwave for 30 seconds. Mix to combine.
• Remove buns from oven.
• Use overhang to lift buns onto a cooling rack.
• Brush with jam mixture while warm.
• Allow to cool to warm before serving.