Fluffy Hot Cross Buns

I have resisted buying hot cross buns from the shops this Easter and made my own, perhaps because I've been seeing too many of them on supermarket shelves since January, way too early for what they are meant for.  I love working with yeast, though I admit it has been a learning journey since my first attempt to make bread a few years ago.  It can be quite a challenge taming a sticky floury mess into a soft dough, a test of patience waiting for it to rise not once, but twice.  There are techniques involved in kneading, fermenting, deflating, cutting and shaping the dough, all of which I have learned over time by trial and error.  Make some hot cross buns this festive season and you will be rewarded with the delicious aroma of baked bread wafting through your house, and the pleasure of sharing them fresh from the oven with your loved ones.  This recipe is sourced from veteran Australian celebrity chef Maggie Beer.  There is also a youtube you might want to watch by RecipeTinEats  utilising an electric dough hook.  Happy Easter!

Makes 12

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups (500g / 1lb 2oz) bread flour or plain flour
• 14g / 4½ teaspoons instant dry yeast
• ¼ cup caster sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 cup currants
• 40g / 1½oz butter 
• 300ml / 10fl oz milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• butter, to serve

Flour paste:

• ⅓ cup plain flour
• 3-4 tablespoons water

Glaze:

• ⅓ cup water
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar

METHOD

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, sugar, spices, salt and currants.
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat.  Add milk.  Heat for 1 minute, or until lukewarm.  
3. Add milk mixture and eggs to flour mixture.  Use a plastic bowl scraper to mix until the ingredients are well blended.  Use your hands to finish mixing to form a soft dough.
4. Turn dough out onto a floured surface.  Knead for 15 minutes by hand, or until dough is smooth.
5. Place dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl.  Cover with a damp tea towel and place in a warm, draught free place for 45 minutes to an hour, or until dough doubles in size. (A good place would be in the oven with its light on.)
6. Line a 23cmx33cm / 9"x13" baking tray with baking paper.  
7. Punch dough down with your fist to deflate, then transfer to a lightly floured surface to shape into a log.
8. Divide dough into 12 equal portions with a knife or a dough cutter.  Shape each portion into a ball.  Place balls onto the lined tray, leaving a small space in between to allow for rising.  Cover with a damp tea towel and place in a warm, draught free place for 30 minutes, or until the buns double in size.
9. Before the buns go into the oven, make the flour paste by mixing flour and water together in a small bowl until smooth.  Test its consistency and add a little more water if the paste is too thick.  Spoon the paste into a small snap-lock bag.  Snip off 1 corner of the bag with a pair of scissors.  Pipe flour paste over tops of buns to form crosses.
10. Bake buns in a preheated 170°C/340°F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until buns are golden brown and cooked through.
11. Make the glaze by placing water and sugar into a small saucepan over low heat.  Stir until sugar dissolves.  Bring to the boil for 3-4 minutes until slightly reduced.  Brush warm glaze over the hot buns when they come out of the oven.
12. Serve buns warm with butter.  Any leftover can be toasted before serving the next day.

Tip: I use a silicone pastry mat to minimise the dough sticking onto the work surface.

Source (with adaptations): Maggie Beer