Hot Cross Buns...Heavy on the Currants

I first posted this recipe for Hot Cross Buns from the Chez Piggy cookbook on April 3, 2020. I'm re-posting it now because I happen to love these buns, made with this very specific recipe. In fact, I made some just the other day. 'Tis the season.

P.S. I'll get back to Chez Piggy in an upcoming post. 

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups of warm water
• 1/2 cup of butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 6 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup of milk powder
• 2 eggs slightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon of the spice mix
• 1 tablespoon of sea salt
• 1 and 1/2 cups of dried currants
• 1 cup chopped candied peel, mixed
• 1 and 1/2 cups of sultana raisins
• 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons of milk (the egg 'wash')

Spice Mix:

• 4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoons allspice
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Icing:

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 and 1/2 cups of icing sugar
• zest of 1 lemon

Methods:

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. After about 10 minutes, stir in the butter, 2 lightly beaten eggs and milk powder. Add the flour, sugar, spice mixture, salt, currants, raisins and citrus peel and mix well. Turn the dough on to a floured board and knead until "silky". 

Here's where things get tricky. What exactly does silky dough look like? I'll never know. The dough never approaches a "silky" consistency when I make it. Sticky, yes.

Leave the dough to rise (in a greased bowl, and covered in plastic wrap) in a warm place for 2-3 hours until it has doubled in size. Punch down the dough and shape it into 18 buns. Place the buns on a couple of greased/papered baking sheets and allow the dough to rise again until not quite doubled in size. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Slash the tops of the buns with a razor blade (very dramatically). Just before putting the buns in the oven, brush the tops with the egg-milk wash. Bake for 20 minutes. To make the icing, mix together the icing sugar, lemon juice and zest.  Ice the cooled buns with a cross of icing.