Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients
| 240 ml | milk |
| 2 tbsp. | yeast |
| 100 g | sugar |
| 2 tbsp. | salt |
| 115 g | butter, melted |
| 1 tsp | cinnamon, ground |
| 1/2 tsp | nutmeg |
| 4 medium | eggs |
| 500 g | flour |
| 200 g | currants |
| 1 medium | egg, whites only |
| For the Glaze: | |
| 180 g | confectioner's sugar |
| 1 1/2 tsp | lemon zest, finely chopped |
| 1/2 tsp | lemon extract |
| 2 tbsp. | milk |
Preparation Method
Preparation time: ca. 1 day 12 hrs / Grade of difficulty: tricky / Calories per portion: n/a
In a small saucepan, heat milk until warm. Pour warm milk in a bowl, sprinkle yeast over and mix with an electric mixer to dissolve. Let sit for 5 minutes.
With mixer running at low speed, add butter, salt, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and eggs. Gradually add flour, and continue kneading with dough hook until smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for about 45 minutes.
Mix and knead again using the electric mixer until smooth and elastic, for about 3 more minutes. Add currants and knead until well mixed. The dough should still be fairly wet and sticky.
Shape dough in a ball, place in a buttered dish, cover with plastic wrap and let rise overnight in the refrigerator.
Let dough sit at room temperature for about a half an hour. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper.
Divide dough into 24 equal pieces and shape each portion into a ball and place on baking sheet, about 2cm apart. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat oven to 200C.
When buns have risen, take a knife and slash buns with a cross. Brush them with egg white and place in oven. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 150C. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack.
Whisk together glaze gredients and spoon over buns in a cross pattern. They are best when served warm
Hot Cross Buns