Hot Cross Buns

HOT CROSS BUNS

Makes

16

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups (310ml) milk
• 3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar
• 2 x 7g sachets dried yeast
• 4 1/3 cups (650g) plain flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 cup (190g) mixed dried fruit (optional)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 100g unsalted butter, melted, cooled

Method

1. Stir milk and 1/3 cup sugar in a saucepan over low heat until lukewarm. Turn off heat. Stir in yeast, then stand on stovetop for 10 minutes or until mixture is foamy.
2. Sift 4 cups flour, spices and 1/4 tsp salt into a bowl. Stir in fruit. Add yeast mixture, egg and butter then stir until mixture forms a dough. Knead on a floured surface for 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Stand in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
3. Divide dough into 16 pieces and shape into balls. Place in a greased 23cm square cake tin. Cover with plastic wrap then stand in a warm place for 30 minutes or until risen level with tin's rim.
4. Preheat oven to 200°C. Stir remaining flour, 1 tbs sugar and 1/4 cup water until smooth. Spoon into a piping bag then pipe crosses over buns. Bake for 10 minutes then reduce oven to 180°C and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and risen. Turn on to a wire rack to cool. Stir remaining 1/3 cup sugar and 2 tbs water in a saucepan over low-medium heat until sugar dissolves then bring to the boil. Brush hot syrup over top of buns. Serve.

Oh yuummmm ....was thinking about trying to make these this easter. Just not sure if I could come close to bakers delight!

*bump*

I am going to give this recipe a try. Made a AWW recipe yesterday, and just wasn't happy. To start with, the yeast didn't rise properly (i know, not the recipe's fault), so was a bit annoyed, then I didn't think about the instructions which said a "hot" oven.... 250 degrees plus..... And burnt the top of them. :( Plus, they just tasted like yeast (to me, anyway, the Man sais they had a strange taste, lol). There was another recipe I had jotted down from here, but I can't find it (and I really wanted to try it! Oh well).

Anyone else baking hot cross buns?

Yeah I've made a few batches this Easter - two fails and one success. Like you - the yeast didn't rise in the two fails. No idea why. I'm using a TMX recipe though.