This is a Saturday night, Sunday morning kind of recipe. As spices, butter and sugar can slow down the fermentation, extra yeast and a slow rise overnight in the refrigerator makes a moist light bun that won't stale and dry within hours of baking. If you want a white cross on top then, either make a paste with equal quantities of flour and water and pipe that on, or roll a little marzipan thinly and cut small strips to lie across the top of each bun before baking.
Makes 9 large buns
75g unsalted butter, melted
2 level tsp mixed spice
300g strong white flour
100g rye or wholemeal flour
1 1/2 tsp fine salt
zest 1/2 orange
2 tsp easy-blend (about 1 sachet) dry yeast
275ml barely warm whole milk
250g mixed dried fruit
3 tbsp golden syrup
sugar glaze
100g golden caster sugar
100ml water
a few drops of lemon juice
Rinse a teacup with boiling water then dry and add the yeast to it together with 50ml warm water and 2 tsp flour from the total amount. Stir this together and leave for 15 minutes until it foams. This mixture is called a "sponge"
Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat with the spices until they sizzle gently then remove from the heat and cool. Weight the flours and place in a bowl with the salt and orange zest, then add the spiced butter and rub this well into it. Combine the sponge from above and the milk, dried fruit and golden syrup then tip this in with the dry ingredients and scrunch it together really well with your fingers, digging down to the bottom of the bowl to avoid trapping a floury layer. When the lot is evenly combined simply scrape any dough from your fingers, cover the bowl tightly, and refrigerate for around 12 hours.
The next morning, remove the dough from the fridge and divide into 9 pieces of just over 100g each. Lightly flour the worksurface and, one by one, pat each piece flat then fold it in upon itself towards you. Rotate the piece an eighth turn then repeat the fold and turn 12-14 times - which will effectively knead and smooth it. When all are kneaded, place to one side while you line a 20cm x 30cm tray (or a 25cm square cake tin) with non-stick baking parchment. Finally, flour and cup one hand and roll each dough piece round and round to make a smooth ball, and space each 2-3cm apart from the others on the tray. Cover and leave for 2 1/2 - 3 hours in a warm place until doubled in height.
Preheat the oven to 200C (same for fan assisted), gas mark 6. Brush the tops of the buns with a little milk and pipe or lay crosses over the top if that's your thing. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes until risen and brown on top. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. In a saucepan make the glaze by bringing the sugar and water to the boil, leaving to simmer for a few minutes until slightly thick, then remove from the heat and stir in the few drops of lemon juice. Cool and brush it over the tops of the buns while warm in the tin.
Variations:
1. Use a single fruit like chopped prunes, and dredge the tops with cinnamon sugar just before baking
2. Replace the orange zest with lemon, and use caraway instead of mixed spice
3. Make into a stollen instead, rolling the dough into an oval and laying 150g marzipan down the centre before folding the dough over it. Remember to brush it with melted butter and dredge with icing sugar after it has baked and cooled.
The baked and torn open Hot Cross Buns showing the crumb loaded with fruit
) and doubled the amount, because my tummy was rumbling at the sight of Dan's picture above!
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