Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients

• 1 cup Milk (Scalded)
• 0.25 cup Sugar
• 2 tablespoons Butter
• 0.5 teaspoon Salt
• 3.5 cups All-purpose flour
• 2.25 teaspoons Active dry yeast
• 1 Egg
• 0.5 cup Mixed peel
• 0.5 cup Currants
• 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
• 0.5 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
• 0.25 cup Water
• 0.25 cup All-purpose flour (for paste)
• 2 tablespoons Apricot jam

Instructions

1. 1In a saucepan, heat the milk until it just begins to simmer. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar, butter, and salt. Let cool to lukewarm.
2. 2In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk mixture. Let stand for 5 minutes until foamy.
3. 3Add the egg, mixed peel, currants, cinnamon, nutmeg, and half of the flour to the yeast mixture. Mix well. Gradually add the remaining flour until a soft dough forms.
4. 4Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
5. 5Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1-1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.
6. 6Punch down the dough and divide it into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a round bun and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
7. 7Cover the buns and let them rise for another 30-45 minutes.
8. 8In a small bowl, mix together the water and flour until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag or a zip-top bag with a small corner cut off.
9. 9Pipe crosses onto the top of each bun.
10. 10Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
11. 11While the buns are baking, heat the apricot jam in a small saucepan until melted. Brush the warm jam over the hot cross buns as soon as they come out of the oven.