'These hot cross buns are absolutely incredible fresh out of the oven. You can keep them overnight and they will still be fine but it’s best to keep them in a tight plastic bag and then toasted with some butter if you do have them over a few days.'

INGREDIENTS

• Makes 12
• 200mL milk
• 55 g caster sugar
• 14 g instant dried yeast
• 455 g flour (preferably '00' flour), extra for dusting
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ whole nutmeg
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 60 g unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• 1 cup sultanas or raisins

White Paste:

• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 5-6 tbsp water

Glaze:

• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup water

METHOD

1. Warm the milk in a small pot until lukewarm. Remove from the stove top and add the sugar and the yeast. After approximately 5 minutes the mixture should have become thick and frothy (See note below).
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pot and set aside. 
3. In a large bowl add the sifted flour, spices, fresh ginger and salt then whisk or mix all these ingredients together until evenly spread out then add the melted butter, the egg, the yeast mixture and using a fork mix all of these ingredients together until roughly combined. 
4. Place the dough mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Once the dough is kneaded place into a floured bowl and cover with glad wrap and place into a warm place for 1 hour or until it’s doubled in size. 
5. After the dough has doubled in size, remove from the bowl and place onto a floured surface. Punch it down once, add the sultanas or raisins and knead for 2 minutes. 
6. Divide the dough into 12 similar sized shapes. Using your hands roll each piece into a bun, making sure they are all as even as possible. 
7. Place each bun onto a tray with greased baking paper side by side touching each other (they will help each other rise). Cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap for approximately 30 minutes - allowing for the buns to rise again. 
8. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees while the buns are rising. 
9. Once the buns have expanded in size again, prepare your white paste mixture by mixing the flour with water, adding more water if necessary to create a thick paste. Transfer this paste into a piping bag or into a snap lock bag and cut a small hole in the corner. Pipe crosses over the hot cross buns (see note below). 
10. Place into the oven for 25 minutes or until the buns are golden brown.
11. Prepare sugar glaze by melting the sugar in some water, adding more sugar if you like a thicker glaze. 
12. Remove the buns from the oven, and using a brush glaze the buns with the sugar glaze - they will become nice and glossy.
13. Serve with butter and enjoy fresh!

Notes:

• When making the milk and yeast mixture be sure to only add the yeast to lukewarm milk, if the milk is too hot, the yeast will not activate correctly and the dough will not expand. 
• When piping the mixture rather than piping crosses on each individual bun a good trick is to just continue the piping over all the buns in line so the crosses are even. 

Recipe and photos by Anastasia Zolotarev. Click here to see her blog.