DAY 19, HOT CROSS BUNS

These typical British buns celebrate Easter, and are made from an enriched bread dough, peppered with raisins and decorated with a symbolic cross! Another recipe for a long day in social isolation!

These beauties were made by my friend Ingrid, who lives in Berlin.
Fabulous!

These wholemeal hot cross buns were made by Mrs. Kelly Grade 3 teacher
Wholesome and delicious!

bun dough

2 cups strong bread flour (in Austria, W700)

1 tsp salt

50g cold butter, cubed (about 1/5 pkt)

 1 tsp cinnamon or allspice (or a mixture of them both)

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp dried yeast (or 15g of fresh, about 1/3 pkt)

2/3 cup warm milk

1 egg

1 cup raisins
cross dough
3 tbsp flour
1 tbsp milk
1tsp oil
glaze

1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar

Mix flour salt and spices in a large bowl.

Add cold cubed butter and rub together to create 'breadcrumbs'

 Make a well in the flour and add the sugar...

 ...egg....

... yeast and warm milk.

 Mix with a wooden spoon - it might be quite sticky!

It's slightly brown because of the spices....

Tip out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.

Set to rise in a warm place for an hour or until doubled in size.

Poke the dough with your finger to make sure it's full of gas!

Flour the work surface and bash out the rise using your fist (this is called 'knocking back')

Sprinkle raisins over the dough, and knead in until they're distributed evenly

Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and shape into rounds

to make the dough for the cross, mix flour, milk and oil in a small bowl

shape into a log to make it easy to divide into 12

and then 24 (2 strips per bun to make the cross)

Place a piece in your palm....

...and roll it between your palms to make a long thin strip

Place over the buns in one direction and then the other

Place into a tin. cover with greased plastic wrap and allow to rise for an hour or until doubled in size

(or overnight in the fridge and bake them fresh for breakfast...)

Bake at 180ºC for 30 minutes (turning once) until very golden brown

Gently boil milk and sugar together and 

reduce to a 1/3 original volume and a sticky glaze is created

remove the 'cake' of buns from the tin, and Paint with the glaze while still warm

...et voila!

Perfect with morning coffee