Hot cross buns

4 pods Green Cardamom pods, organic
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon, organic
1 Whole Cloves, organic
½ tsp Ground Ginger, organic
½ tsp Whole Nutmeg, organic
For the Dough:
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/2 stick butter
• zest of 1 orange
• 1 package active dry yeast (1/4 oz)
• 3/4 cup mixed dried fruit
• 1 egg
For the Egg Wash:
• 1 egg, beaten with a little milk
For the Crosses on the Buns:
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tablespoon superfine sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
For the Sugar Glaze:
• 1 tablespoon superfine sugar
• 1 tablespoon boiling water

Heat the milk, butter, orange zest, clove and cardamom pods in a saucepan until the butter melts, then leave to infuse.
Mix the flour, yeast and dried fruit into a bowl and add the spices. When the infused milk has reached blood temperature take out the clove and cardamom pods, and beat in the egg. Pour this liquid into the bowl of dry ingredients.
Knead the dough either by hand or with a machine with a dough hook. If it is too dry add a little more warm milk or water. Keep kneading until you have silky elastic dough. Form into a ball and place in a buttered bowl covered with plastic wrap, and leave to rise overnight in the fridge or 1 ½ h in a warm place of the kitchen.
Take the dough out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Punch it down, and knead it again until it is smooth elastic. Divide into 16 balls and shape into smooth round buns. Sit the buns on a parchment paper on a baking sheet. Make sure they are quite snug together but not touching. Using the back of an ordinary knife, score the tops of the buns with the imprint of a cross. Cover with a kitchen towel, and leave to prove again for about 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425°F/ 220°C. Brush the buns with the egg wash, and then mix the flour, sugar and water into a smooth, thick, paste. Using a teaspoon, dribble two lines over the bins in the indent of the cross, and then bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
When the hot cross buns come out of the oven, mix the sugar and boiling water together for the glaze, and brush each hot bun to make them sweet and shiny.

Write a comment