Hot cross buns

Hot cross buns aren't readily available in Japan (though I've heard that some bakeries are starting to make them). So it's make-it-yourself or don't have any.

This is the recipe I used on Sunday. I printed it off the Australia Women's Weekly site some years ago and I can't find it there now, so I'm typing it out here for any of you who'd like to try it. Just don't substitute the sugar for salt like I did in my fatigue on Sunday. It simply doesn't work and cost me over 1/2 hour in lost time!

Ingredients

Buns

4 tsp or 14g dry yeast
1 tablespoon (20g) of sugar
1 cup or 250ml of warm milk

4 cups or 600g plain/cake flour
2 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
80g butter, chopped
1 cup or 160g sultanas or raisins (soak in warm water, if they are a bit too desiccated)
Optional: about 2 tablespoon of mixed peel (I used a peeler to take off the top layer of an orange's peel and then chopped it into small pieces)
1 egg, beaten slightly
1/2 cup of sugar
1/3 cup or 80ml warm water

Flour paste (makes crosses)

1/2 cup or 70g plain flour

1 tablespoon of white sugar

6 tablespoons of water (approximately).

Glaze

Brush with milk before applying crosses. 

Method

1. Sift the flour, spices, and salt into a large bowl.

2. Rub in the butter.

3. Make the yeast mixture:

1. Combine the first three ingredients on the list: the yeast with the one tablespoon of sugar and the warm milk.
2. Whisk until yeast is dissolved.
3. Stand in a warm place until yeast mixture is frothy (5-10 minutes).

4. Into the flour mixture, stir the 1/2 cup of sugar, fruit, egg, and yeast mixture. Add enough water to make a soft dough.

5. Leave the bowl in a warm place for about an hour. My oven has a 40˚C setting. so I used that.

6. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until it is smooth and elastic (recipe says 10 minutes, but it didn't take me that long).

7. Divide the dough into 20 portions, quickly roll them into balls and put them on the tray— gently touching, in a pan with sides, if possible.

8. Leave them to rise in a warm place for about 20 minutes.

9. Make flour paste by mixing together, gradually adding water until you've got a smooth, fairly liquid consistency.

10. Pipe the paste onto the buns, or use a plastic bag with the corner snipped off just a tiny bit.

11. Bake at 190C for about 15 minutes or until buns sound hollow when tapped.

They are so yummy, that I'm thinking of making another batch before Easter.