Sage & Scullery: Hot Cross Buns Recipe

Makes 24 medium hot cross buns | Time: 5+ hours | Appliances: bread machine

Dough Ingredients:

• 300g tepid water
• 30g butter
• 20 - 40g brown sugar (heart-led decision)
• 10g yeast
• 1 egg
• 480g white high grade flour
• 4g salt
• 10g cinnamon
• 7g mixed spice
• 2g ground ginger (optional)
• Zest of one orange

Dough Additions:

• 350g sultanas (at beeps)

Crosses Ingredients:

• 60g white high grade flour
• 85g water

Glaze Ingredients:

• Juice of one orange (use the above orange you took the rind off)
• 1/2 c white sugar

Method: 

1. Place all ingredients (except sultanas) into a bread machine on the dough function and press start.
2. When your machine beeps, add in the sultanas.
3. Allow to double in size in the bread machine (around 2.5 hours for my environment). Due to the enchriched dough expect it to take longer than the dough function, but I just leave it in its little warm environment with the bread machine to continue to rise until it has doubled.
4. Prepare your large baking tray for the buns - either oil/butter the bottom and sides or line with parchment paper.
5. Make the orange glaze by juicing the orange into a small saucepan and add sugar. Heat until the sugar is dissolved and set to the side.
6. Get the total weight of your dough (place a large bowl on your scales and zero out the weight before adding the dough to the bowl) and divide the total weight by 24. That number is what you want each dough ball to weigh before you shape them.
7. Weigh each ball to the desired weight, and then shape into little dough balls. For the best result watch this video here on how I form the dough balls, and listen to this podcast episode where I talk about the tension on the dough.
8. Lightly mist the buns with water and seal the top of the tray with cling wrap or a damp tea towel and allow to rise until just about doubled in size again (take picture of the before for reference). Mine takes about 1.5 hours in my environment.
9. Once nearly doubled in size, preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius on fan bake.
10. Make your cross mixture by adding water and flour into a mug and stir until smooth and lump free. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag, or a small zip lock bag and seal.
11. Right before baking, snip the end of the piping bag the size of a pinhead (less is more) and pipe your crosses. Generously mist the oven with water right before you close the door.
12. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes until golden in colour. Check if it's ready by lifting the parchment paper, if it looks doughy on the bottom give them another 5 minutes cooking time. 
13. When they come out of the oven use a pastry brush to glaze the top and sizes of your buns while still warm and in the tray.
14. Allow to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to fully cool… if you can.
15. Eat fresh or toasted - either way with lashings of butter is mandatory!

Listen to a whole podcast episode about this recipe here for many nuances that I don't think are appropriate for a written recipe - but this episode is where the magic sauce is!