Best-ever hot cross buns

ingredients

• Best-ever hot cross buns

  • 1 cup (250ml) milk
  • 2 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoon grapeseed or vegetable oil
  • 60 gram butter, chopped
  • 1 cup (250ml) apple or pear juice, at room temperature
  • 7 gram sachet dried yeast
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind
  • 1/3 cup (55g) currants
  • 1/3 cup (55g) sultanas
  • 5 1/3 cup (800g) bread flour (see tips)
  • 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoon salt

• Flour paste

  • 1/2 cup (75g) plain flour
  • 1 tablespoon caster sugar
  • 1/3 cup (80ml) cold water, approximately

• Glaze

  • 1 tablespoon caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon powdered gelatine
  • 1 tablespoon water

method

• Best-ever hot cross buns

  • 1

    Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and add the honey, oil and butter; stir until combined.

  • 2

    In a large bowl, whisk the juice and yeast until dissolved. Whisk in the egg and orange rind until combined. Stir in the currants and sultanas. Add the combined flour, cinnamon and salt, then milk mixture. Using your hand, mix together until well combined. Cover with a clean tea towel or plastic wrap and stand in a warm place for 30 minutes.

  • 3

    Lightly knead the dough on a lightly oiled surface for 10 seconds. Return dough to the bowl, cover and stand in warm place for 1 hour or until risen by half.

  • 4

    Divide the dough into 16 pieces, each a little over 90g. Shape into balls and place on a large baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper in four rows of four. Cover and stand in a warm place for 30 minutes or until risen by half.

  • 5

    Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced).

  • 6

    To make flour paste: combine flour and sugar in small bowl. Gradually mix in enough water to form a smooth paste. Place mixture into a small piping bag fitted with a small plain tube. Pipe crosses on buns.

  • 7

    Bake the buns for about 25 minutes until browned then leave to cool on the tray.

  • 8

    To make glaze: combine all ingredients in small pan and stir over low heat, without boiling, until sugar and gelatine are dissolved.

  • 9

    Transfer the buns to a wire rack and brush tops with the glaze. Serve warm with butter.

notes

Cooked buns suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Bread flour is higher in gluten than plain flour, producing a better textured bun. Bread flour goes under various names – strong, baker’s or bread. Plain flour can be substituted. A windowsill in sunlight, or on an open oven door, with the oven set at a low temperature, is the perfect warm place to prove yeast dough. For fresh buns on Good Friday morning, make and shape the dough according to the recipe, place on trays, then cover loosely for their last proving in the refrigerator overnight. Pipe crosses or glaze buns, then bake.