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MY MUM'S HOT CROSS BUNS

MY MUM'S HOT CROSS BUNS

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Serves: 16

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  • Vegetarian
What does this mean?

I love the fact that, even though we live in different continents, every Easter my mother and I make the same hot cross buns.

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Ingredients

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour (please try and use a breadmaking or bakers flour, you will get a much superior result)
  • 1 beaten egg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • oz dried yeast (1.5 sachets)
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 oz butter
  • 1 ½ cups warm milk
  • ½ cup sultanas (and/or raisins)
  • 1 tablespoon currants
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped mixed peel

Method

  1. Mix together dry ingredients including yeast in a large bowl. Make well in centre, add milk, beaten egg and melted butter. Mix to a soft dough. Turn out on to lightly floured bench top and knead vigorously for 5-8 minutes. Very important - for a start it will be sticky and you will probably have to add a fraction more flour but keep kneading and after five minutes or so it will start to not be sticky and when you press the dough with your finger it will bounce back. It will be smooth and shiny. It changes quite dramatically and suddenly you will know when it is ready.
  2. Put dough in greased bowl, sprinkle with a few drops of warm water and cover with cling film or damp cloth. Leave in a warm place to rise to double in size - it will take about an hour.
  3. Knock back dough and put on bench and knead in the mixed fruit (about two minutes). Divide dough into 16 equal pieces and shape into smooth balls.
  4. Place on a greased tray quite close together and set aside to rise until double in size, about 20-30 minutes.
  5. Pipe crosses using a mix of three tablespoons of flour and 3 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and enough water to make paste with icing-like consistency. Pipe crosses on buns.
  6. Bake in preheated oven 210 degrees C for approx 15-20 minutes until well browned.
  7. While buns are cooking prepare glaze - mix 3 tblsp sugar with 1/4 cup of water and a strip of lemon rind. Bring to boil and simmer for a few minutes until syrupy.
  8. Brush glaze on buns when they come out of oven. Cool buns on a rack or wrap in a tea towel.

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  • The look of the results featured in the image look exactly the hot cross buns I love to eat. My results were not as perfect in shape, nor did the crosses turn out as clear however, the texture was right on. I didn't have any mixed peel so the fruit in the buns was just currents and sultanas which I moistened by soaking them in hot water for 5-10 minutes. It was quite a time-consuming process but very worthwhile. I recommend this recipe and will definitely use it again myself. Thank you.

    Posted by Veleta on 5th Apr 2013 at 8.51