Hot Cross Buns (V, DF, EG)

Easter just wouldn't be Easter without hot cross buns, so a mandatory 'lockdown' in the midst of a global pandemic, wasn't going to stop me!

Ingredients:

• 2 tspn of Surebake yeast (Active Yeast)
• 1 tspn sugar
• 1 1/4 c of warm almond milk (or other milk)
• 1 tbsp white flour

• 1 tspn of No-Egg (egg replacer) mixed with 1 tbsp of water (equivalent to one egg)

• 3 cups white flour
• 1 tbsp mixed spice
• 1 tbsp cinammon
• 1/4 c caster sugar
• Rind of a lemon and mandarin (in lieu of dried/mixed peel if you don't have it)
• 1 c of sultanas or raisins
• 60gm of Olivete or similar dairy-free butter alternative

• Flour and water mixed to a paste (that you can 'ice' with)
• Sugar and water heated and mixed to a syrup/glaze

Method

1. Mix first four ingredients together in a bowl with a whisk.  Cover and leave in a warm place (in the sunshine is ideal) for about 10-15 mins.  The mixture should go fluffy and gloopy.
2. While the yeast mixture is doing it's thing, add dry ingredients (flour, spice, cinnamon, sugar) and Olivete together and mix until it resembles crumbs.  Add sultanas/raisins and rind and mix to combine.  
3. Add No-Egg to yeast mixture and add to flour mix. 
4. If you have a bread hook, change attachment on mixer, and combine until dough is stretchy and not sticky.
5. Remove and put on floured surface and knead a little more if needed (need to knead).
   
   
   
   
   
6. Spray a little non-stick cooking oil to inside of large glass bowl and turn dough into the bowl.  Cover and leave somewhere warm for approx 45 minutes to rise.
7. After 45 minutes, cut or pull mixture into balls/bun shape and roll with wet hands to smooth out.  Space evenly on a baking tray, and cover and leave in a warm place for another 10 minutes to finish rising.
8. Use the smooth edge of a knife and indent crosses in the top of each bun.  
9. Mix flour/water to a paste and gloop into a snaplock bag, cutting the corner off and 'piping' or drizzling a cross into the indentations you have made.
10. Bake at 220 degrees for 10 minutes.
11. While buns are in the oven, mix sugar and a little water and heat in microwave.  Brush this syrup over the top of each bun to glaze, and return to oven for another 10 minutes, turning the heat down to 180 degrees.
12. Serve hot!

These have a similar texture to a scone.  Makes approx 12.