Why waste dollars on boring supermarket buns when you could be enjoying these homemade Budget Hot Cross Buns, served warm with a little butter?
Time: 2 hours
Serves: Makes 8 buns
Ingredients
Buns
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- 2 cups plain flour
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- 1 x 7g sachet dried yeast
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- 1/8 cup caster sugar
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- Pinch of salt
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- 3/4 cup currants or sultanas
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- 1/4 cup mixed peel (optional)
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- 20g butter
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- 150ml milk
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- 1 egg, lightly beaten
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- 1 teaspoon mixed spice for kids, 3 teaspoons for mid-strength and 5 teaspoons for quite strong
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- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Flour paste
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- 1/4 plain flour
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- 2 to 3 tablespoons water
Glaze
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- 1/6 cup water
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- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
Method
Put the butter in a small saucepan and set over a low heat on the stove to melt. Add the milk and heat until lukewarm (approximately one minute).
Combine the flour, yeast, mixed spice, cinnamon, sugar, salt and currants (or sultanas) in a bowl.
Add the milk mixture and the egg to the dry ingredients. Mix the dough until it reaches a smooth consistency, then use your hands to mix it into a soft dough.
Flour a benchtop and turn the dough mixture out onto it. Knead the dough for 10 minutes until dough is smooth. Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm, dry area for one hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and punch down to its original size. Knead until the mixture is smooth, and then divide it into eight equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball and place them on the tray, about a thumb-width apart. Cover the tray with plastic wrap and place in a warm, dry area for half an hour, or until buns have doubled in size.
While the buns are rising, preheat oven to 190°C (or 170°C fan-forced). Create the flour paste by mixing the flour and water together until smooth. Put the mixture into a small plastic bag and snip the corner off to create a piping bag. When buns have risen pipe crosses onto the buns. Bake buns for 20 minutes.
While the buns are cooking create the glaze. To do this put the sugar and water into a small saucepan over a low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and bring to the boil. Allow glaze to boil for five minutes. When buns come out of the oven, brush with the glaze. Serve warm.
Also read: Hot Cross Bun Pudding
