Nigella's Hot Cross Bun Recipe
I didn't do the cardamom bit and used half white/ half wholemeal flour. And I did BBBee's thing of putting a bowl of water in the oven while I baked them. They are lovely and crispy on the top but soft inside.
Dough
150ml milk
50g butter
zest of 1 orange
1 clove
2 cardamom pods
400g bread flour
1 packet easy blend yeast 97g)
125g mixed dried fruit
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 egg
Egg Wash
1 egg, beaten with a little milk
For the crosses
3 tablespoons plain flour
½ tablespoon caster sugar
2 tablespoons water
Sugar Glaze
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 tablespoon boiling water
Heat the milk, butter, orange zest, clove & cardamom pods in a saucepan until the butter melts, then leave to infuse.
Measure the flour, yeast & dried fruit into a bowl & add the spices. When the infused milk has reached blood temperature take out the clove & cardamom pods & beat in the egg. Pour this liquid into the bowl of dry ingredients.
Knead the dough either by hand or with a machine with a dough hook. If it is too dry add a little more milk or water. Keep kneading until you have silky, elastic dough but bear in mind that the dried fruit will stop this from being exactly satin smooth. Form into a ball & place in a buttered bowl covered with cling film, & leave to prove overnight in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 220c. Take the dough out of the fridge & let it come to room temperature.
Punch the dough down, and knead it again until it is smooth & elastic. Divide into 16 balls & shape into smooth round buns.
Sit the buns on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Make sure they are quite snug together but not touching. Using the back of an eating knife, score the tops of the buns with the imprint of a cross. Cover with a tea towel & leave to prove again for about 45 minutes ? they should have risen & almost joined up.
Brush the buns with the egg wash, then mix the flour, sugar & water into a smooth thick paste. Using a teaspoon, dribble two lines over the buns in the indent to make a cross, then bake for 15-20 minutes.
When they come out of the oven, mix the sugar & boiling water, and brush each bun to make then sweet & shiny.