MOB's hot cross buns

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MOB Kitchen

4 serving

Prep time: 4 hrs

Cook time:

Serves: 4

This is MOB Kitchen's take on everyone’s favourite Easter bake, made with the softest, most fragrant dough. They're best toasted and slathered with butter.

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients

180ml whole milk
1 earl grey tea bag
2 cardamom pods
100g butter
7g fast-action dried yeast
85g caster sugar
450g strong white bread flour
1½ tbsp ground mixed spice
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
125g currants
50g mixed peel
3 tbsp plain flour

Method

Step 1

Pour the milk into a small saucepan, then add the tea bag and the cardamom pods. Warm over a gentle heat until steaming, but not boiling. Leave to infuse and cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, cut the butter into 1cm cubes

Step 2

Once the milk is cool, remove the teabag and pour in the yeast along with 1 tbsp of the sugar. Give it a mix and leave it to bloom – the yeast should bubble and rise within the milk.

Step 3

Tip the flour, mixed spice and salt into a large bowl. Add your cubed butter and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine yellow breadcrumbs. Add 55g of the sugar and rub in briefly again.

Step 4

Make a well in the middle and add the yeasty milk and the eggs. Mix until you have a sticky dough. Turn out onto the work surface and knead until you have a smooth dough – this will take about 10 mins.

Step 5

Pop the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel. Leave to rise and double in size somewhere warm and dry – this will take up to 2 hrs. Then tip the dough out and gently knead again for 1 min to knockout the air. Pour the currants and mixed peel onto the dough, then knead again until they are evenly incorporated.

Step 6

Divide the dough into 12 even-sized pieces. Roll each into a bun shape by flattening it, folding the sides into the middle, then turning it the other way round and shaping it into a ball with the palm of your hand. Flatten slightly, then place spaced apart on 2 baking trays and cover with cling film. Leave to rise for another hour.

Step 7

Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Mix the 3 tbsp of plain flour with enough water to form a very stiff paste. Spoon into a piping bag.

Step 8

With a sharp knife, score a cross in the top of each risen bun. Pipe your mixture into each incision so there is a white cross on top of each bun. Bake for 20-25 mins, or until golden. While baking, pour 2 tbsp boiling water over the remaining sugar and mix to make a quick glaze.

Step 9

When the hot cross buns are out of the oven, brush with the glaze. Leave to cool slightly, then brush again. Once cool, slice in half and toast, hen slather with butter.