Hot Cross Buns (Vallerie)

By Deeee

Ingredients

• 4 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 30 g(1oz) compressed yeast
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 60 g(2oz) butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp Allspice
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preparation

Step 1

1. Cream yeast with 1 tsp each of the sugar and flour, add lukewarm milk, mix well. Cover, stand in warm place 10 to 1 5 minutes or until mixture is frothy. Sift flour, salt, sugar and spices, rub in butter, add beaten egg, raisins and yeast mixture, beat well.
2. Cover bowl with clean cloth, stand in warm place 40 minutes or until dough doubles in bulk. Punch dough down, turn out on to floured surface, knead well until dough is smooth and elastic.
3. Cut dough into three equal pieces, cut each piece into five, making 15 buns in all. Knead each into round shape. Put buns in lightly greased 18cm x 28 cm (7inch x 11) lamington tin. stand in warm place 10 to 15 minutes or until buns reach top edge of tin.
4. Sift 1/2 cup plain flour, mix to paste with 1/3 cup water. Fill into small plastic bag with small hole cut across corner. Pipe crosses on each bun.

400 for 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove from oven, immediately brush with glaze made by dessolving 1 tbsp hot water.