Traditional Fruity And Spiced Hot Cross Buns: Bread-maker

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr 40 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 210 ml milk
• 1 egg
• 450 g strong bread flour
• 2 teaspoons ground mixed spice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 50 g fine light brown sugar
• 50 g melted butter
• 7 g easy-blend dried yeast
• 125 g mixed dried fruit, such as currants, sultanas, raisins and peel
• 75 g ready-made pastry dough
• 30 ml milk
• 25 g caster sugar

Recipe

• 1 put all of the hot cross bun ingredients into your break maker in the order listed, excepting the dried fruit.
• 2 put the fruit into the "extras" tray on your bread maker, or leave to one side to add towards the end of the kneading cycle.
• 3 set the bread maker to dough setting - or raisin dough setting if you have it.
• 4 press start and if you do not have an "extras" tray, add your dried fruit when your machine alerts you or 5 minutes before the end of the kneading time.
• 5 lightly grease two baking trays/sheets.
• 6 when the dough cycle has finished, take the dough out and place it on a lightly floured board. knock back and shape into 12 pieces, rolling them into balls.
• 7 place them on the greased baking trays/sheets and cover with a clean tea towel or lightly oiled cling film.
• 8 allow them to rise for about 30-45 minutes or until doubled in size.
• 9 meanwhile pre-heat the oven the 200c/400f/gas 6.
• 10 make the pastry crosses by rolling out the ready-made pastry very thinly and cutting into strips.
• 11 make the glaze by heating up the milk and adding the sugar - heat them until the sugar has dissolved. set to one side.
• 12 when the hot cross buns are ready to bake, place two strips of pastry on each top - pressing lightly and bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until well-risen and golden brown. the buns should sound hollow when tapped underneath.
• 13 brush the glaze on each bun as soon as they have been taken out of the oven and then allow to cool slightly on a wire rack.
• 14 eat whilst still warm, split & spread with butter!
• 15 these are great toasted when they are a few days old as well!