Prep 15 – 20 minutes | 45 – 90 minutes prove/rise time | 15 – 20 minutes cooking time | Makes 20 buns
Equipment:
- A heavy-based saucepan
- Large mixing bowl
- Baking tray
- Piping bag
Ingredients:
- 500gms strong plain flour
- 50gms castor sugar
- 1tsp salt
- 6gms mixed spice
- 7gms easy bake dried yeast
- 100gms golden medium-sized sultanas
- 85gms mixed peel
- 50gms butter
- 225ml milk and water mixed
- 1 free-range egg
Egg wash:
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp milk
Crosses:
- 25gms plain flour
- Cold water to mix
Glaze (optional):
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp water
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, saltanas and peel. Once it’s all mixed nicely together, make a well in the centre.
- In a saucepan or microwave, gently melt the butter before adding the the milk and water and heat until just tepid.
- Gently beat an egg in a small bowl .
- Add the tepid liquid and egg to the flour mixture and gently combine to a dough. Make sure your hands are nice and clean as your about to work the dough for five minutes, kneading until it’s nice and smooth. Leave to rest for five minutes.
- After resting, divide the dough into 20 equal pieces and knead each individual section into a nice smooth ball.
- Place the 20 buns onto a baking tray and cover with oiled clingfilm or a re-usable stretch cover.
- Leave to rise or prove on the bench until the buns have doubled in size. Depending on the temperature in your kitchen, this could take 45 minutes to an hour and a half.
- When your buns don’t look too far off, move your oven rack to the lower level in your cooker and preheat to 220c conventional oven, 200c fan bake.
- It’s time to make the crosses. Gradually add enough water to the flour to make a paste. Fill a small piping bag (or a small plastic bag and cut a hole at the end) and create a cross on the top of each bun.
- Place your prepared buns into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until golden. Give the base a bit of a tap, if it sounds hollow, then your buns are done!
- If you are doing the glazing stage, dissolve your sugar and water in a pot before brushing over the hot cooked buns. Return to the oven and cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Leave the Buns to cool on a wire rack but don’t let them cool completely. You want to serve these nice and warm so the butter melts when you slather it on! Alternatively you can save them and toast them the next day, spreading them with butter or cream cheese.
RECIPE FROM AGA LIVING
