Bake of the Week: Hot cross buns

You’ll need: 

70g of butter

250ml of milk

500g flour

10g dried yeast

70g of sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon gingerbread spice

1/2 tspn salt

1 tspn vanilla paste

Zest of a lemon and an orange

For the filling:

50g raisins

60g mixed peel

Topping:

Apple jelly

2-3 tablespoons flour, 2-3 tblspns water

Method: 

Melt the butter and add milk. Let it cool until lukewarm.

Put the flour, yeast, sugar, egg, spice, salt, vanilla paste and the lemon and orange zest in a mixing bowl. Add the butter-milk mixture and knead into a fine dough. Tip: It should break away from the bowl edge.

Cover the dough for one hour.

Finely chop the mixed peel and mix with the raisins. Knead the dough with the dried fruits and form 12 small balls (like bread rolls).

Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper or place in a greased dish. Let them rest again for about 30-60 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 170°C.

Make the topping by mixing the flour and water into a paste. Put in a freezer bag. For piping, cut off a corner.

Just before baking: place the “cross” on to the rolls by piping through the cut corner.

Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes until golden.

Heat apple jelly (or other light jam like apricot) and glaze the hot cross buns after baking.