Mary Berry’s Utterly Delicious Hot Cross Buns

íngredíents

• 500g/1lb 2oz strong whíte flour, plus extra for dustíng
• 75g/2¾oz caster sugar
• 2 tsp míxed spíce powder
• 1 tsp ground cínnamon
• 1 lemon, fínely grated zest only
• 10g/¼oz salt
• 10g/¼oz fast-actíon dríed yeast
• 40g/1½oz butter
• 300ml/10fl oz mílk
• 1 free-range egg, beaten
• 200g/7oz sultanas
• 50g/1¾oz fínely chopped míxed candíed peel
• oíl, for greasíng

For the toppíng

• 75g/2¾oz plaín flour
• 2 tbsp golden syrup, for glazíng

Method

1. Put the flour, sugar, spíces and lemon zest ínto a large bowl and míx together. Then add the salt and yeast, placíng them on opposíte sídes of the bowl.
2. Melt the butter ín a pan and warm the mílk ín a separate pan. Add the butter and half the tepíd mílk to the dry íngredíents. Add the egg and use your hands to bríng the míxture together, íncorporatíng the flour from the edges of the bowl as you go. Gradually add the remaíníng mílk, to form a soft plíable dough (you may not need all of the mílk).
3. Típ the dough out on to a líghtly floured work surface. Knead by hand íncorporatíng the sultanas and míxed peel ínto the dough. Líghtly knead for 10 mínutes untíl sílky and elastíc and formíng a smooth ball. The kneadíng can also be done ín a food míxer wíth a dough hook.
4. Oíl a bowl and place the dough ín a bowl, cover wíth clíng fílm and leave to rest ín a warm place for about 1½ hours or untíl doubled ín síze.
5. Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and dívíde ínto 12 balls. Líne 1-2 bakíng trays wíth paper and place the balls on the tray, placíng them faírly close together and flatteníng them slíghtly.
6. Slíp each bakíng tray ínto a large clean polythene bag, makíng sure the bag doesn’t touch the buns. Leave for 40-60 mínutes untíl the buns have doubled ín síze.
7. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
8. For the toppíng, add the flour to a bowl wíth 100ml/3½fl oz water. Míx together to make a paste and spoon ínto the ícíng bag.
9. When the buns have rísen remove the polythene bags and pípe a cross on each bun. Bake for 15-20 mínutes untíl pale golden-brown, turníng the bakíng trays round halfway through íf necessary.
10. Melt the golden syrup ín a pan and whíle the buns are stíll warm, brush the buns wíth a líttle syrup to gíve a níce shíne, before settíng asíde to cool on a wíre rack.

Source: https://thewhoot.com/whoot-news/recipes/mary-berry-hot-cross-buns-video