Hot Cross Buns

large baking tray and 2 x mixing bowls

FRUIT BUNS
25g butter
1 egg
150g milk
300g Doves Farm Organic Strong White Bread Flour
1 tsp Doves Farm Quick Yeast
1 tbsp caster sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp mixed spice
50g currants
50g mixed peel, chopped
butter, for tray

HOT CROSS TOPPING
50g Doves Farm Organic Plain White Flour
3 tbsp water
3 tbsp apricot jam

200°C, Fan 180°C, 400°F, Gas 6

Fruit Buns

1. Melt the butter.
2. Break the egg into a bowl, add the milk and beat together.
3. Stir in the melted butter.
4. Put the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and mixed spice into a bowl and mix together.
5. Add the egg and milk mixture and stir into a sticky dough.
6. Knead the dough in the bowl for 100 presses, if possible, without adding flour. The dough will be sticky at first then become smooth and pliable.
7. Invert a bowl over the dough bowl and leave in a warm place to double in size, about 2 hours.
8. Rub some butter around the inside of a large baking tray or insert a baking liner.
9. Add the currants and peel to the dough and knead until they are well combined.
10. Divide the dough into 10 pieces, roll each into a ball and place them on the prepared oven tray.

Hot Cross Topping

1. Put the plain flour into a bowl and add just enough water to make a very thick paste.
2. Using a brush or teaspoon paint or dribble some paste over the top of each bun to form a cross.
3. Leave the buns to rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.
4. Pre-heat the oven 20 minutes before you are going to bake.
5. Repeat the paste cross over each bun and rise for a further 15 minutes.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
7. Gently heat the apricot jam, mashing any lumps, and brush it over the buns as they come out of the oven.