Brioche Hot Cross Buns

Happy Easter! Enjoy these delicious brioche hot cross buns fresh out of the oven, or toasted with a little butter for a tasty tea-time treat!

Recipe

Makes 12

Time: 1 hour, plus rising and baking time

Ingredients

• 550g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• 50g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp ground mixed spice
• 10g fast-acting dried yeast
• 7g salt
• 140ml milk
• 5 medium eggs
• 200g raisins
• 150g butter

For the decoration

• 50g plain flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp milk

Method

1. Put the flour, sugar, mixed spice, yeast, salt, milk and eggs into a big bowl and mix together to get a soft dough.
2. Turn the dough out onto a work top and knead for 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and stretchy.
3. Add the raisins and butter to the dough and knead for another 5-10 minutes to combine.
4. Put the dough into a slightly oiled bowl. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge overnight to rise.
5. Turn the risen dough out onto a work top and split into 12 evenly sized blobs. Shape each dough blob into a smooth ball by pulling the dough tightly underneath itself and then rolling it in the palm of your hand against a work surface.
6. Place each ball of dough into a deep roasting tin to get 3 rows of 4 buns. Cover with cling film and leave to rise at room temperature for another hour (or until doubled in size).
7. Pre-heat the oven to 200C. Put the flour for the decoration into a bowl and add around 6 tbsp of water, one tbsp at a time, until you get a thick but pipable paste. Spoon this into a disposable piping bag and snip a small, round hole in the end to pipe out of.
8. Pipe a cross on the top of each bun with the flour mixture (doing a whole row at a time can make this easier).
9. Put the beaten egg and the milk into a bowl and beat with a fork until runny and smooth. Brush this over the top of the risen buns to glaze and then bake the brioche in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
10. Leave to cool and then enjoy!

Thanks for reading!

Emma x