Hot Cross Buns

[Violet Star]

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.

[mummy2Kaitlyn]

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

[{sarah}]

*bump*

[Netix]

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?

[OceanPrincess]

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.