Hot Cross Buns

I look forward to Easter so that I could indulge in my favourite hot cross buns. These are amazingly soft and fragrant with cinnamon and mixed spice and are irresistible especially fresh from the oven.

I added some rum to the fruits for extra kick . Rather than marking the buns with a traditional flour-paste cross , icing was used which tasted much nicer. For those who don't like the overpowering taste of spices and fruits, these buns will be ideal.

Makes 9 or 12 buns

Ingredients for Main Dough
85g starter dough *
210g bread flour
55g plain flour
20g milk powder
40g sugar
½ tsp salt
3¼ tsp Surebake yeast
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp mixed spice
30g egg
80g water
20g unsalted butter

40 g raisins
40 g sultanas
35 g mixed peel
1 tsp rum


Glazing
1½ tsp apricot jam
3 tsp water

Cross icing
2 Tbsp icing sugar
hot water

Method
1. Place all ingredients except the fruits into the bread pan according to your breadmaker instructions.
2. Setting : Dough.
3. Soak the fruits with the rum.
4. When the bread maker beeps for 'addition', add in the fruits.
5. Leave bread dough in the bread pan to proof until double in size. In cool weather this will take 1-2 hours.

6. Divide dough into 9 pieces of 80g each or 12 pieces of 55g each.
7. Place on greased baking tray to proof for another 1-2 hours or until at least double in size. Size of my baking tray is 28cm x 21cm.
8. Bake at 170C for 12-15 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and brush top of buns with the apricot mixture.

10. Mix icing sugar with a few drops of boiling water at a time until you get a soft consistency.
11. Scoop icing into a small plastic bag. Snip a small hole at the corner and lace the buns with crosses.

* Starter Dough
15g bread flour
85g water

1. Heat water to 65C and mix in the breadflour.
2. Stir till the flour dissolves
3. Let it cool completely before using. The starter dough can be made and left in the fridge overnight.


Tip :
1. To hasten the process of proofing, preheat the oven at 50C, switch it off and place your dough covered with clingwrap into the warm oven.
2. The first proofing should take 1-1½ hour and the second proofing 1-2 hours.
3. To get a lighter and fluffier bun make sure the dough doubles in size before baking. Underproofing will result in a dense bread.