Spiced Currant Buns with Piped Flour Crosses

What you need

• 500 g (4 cups) bread flour
• 7 g (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
• 75 g (1/3 cup) caster sugar, plus 2 tbsp for the glaze
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 250 ml (1 cup) whole milk, warm, plus 2 tbsp for the glaze
• 50 g (3 1/2 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 150 g (1 cup) dried currants, or a mix of currants and raisins
• 50 g (1/3 cup) candied mixed peel, chopped
• 75 g (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp) all-purpose flour, for the crosses

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Warm the milk until it feels just warm to a fingertip, about 40 °C (105 °F). Stir in 1 tsp of the sugar and the yeast and leave until foamy, 5-10 min.

2. 2

   In a large bowl, mix the bread flour, the rest of the 75 g sugar, the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.

3. 3

   Pour in the yeasty milk, the butter and the egg, and stir into a soft, slightly sticky dough.

4. 4

   Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and springy, 8-10 min. Resist adding much flour; a tacky dough makes lighter buns.

5. 5

   Press the dough flat, scatter over the currants and peel, and knead briefly until they are spread through.

6. 6

   Put the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and leave somewhere warm until doubled in size, 1-1 1/2 hours.

7. 7

   Knock the air out, divide into 12 equal pieces and roll each into a tight ball.

8. 8

   Set the balls snugly on a lined baking tray, about 1 cm (1/2 in) apart, cover loosely and leave until puffed and touching, 30-45 min.

9. 9

   Preheat the oven to 190 °C (375 °F).

10. 10

    Stir the plain flour with about 5 tbsp of water into a thick, smooth paste that holds its shape. Spoon it into a piping bag with a small tip.

11. 11

    Pipe a line along each row of buns, then across in the other direction, so every bun carries a cross.

12. 12

    Bake until deep golden and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath, 18-22 min.

13. 13

    While the buns bake, heat the 2 tbsp of sugar with the 2 tbsp of milk in a small pan until the sugar dissolves.

14. 14

    Brush the hot buns with the glaze straight out of the oven, then leave on a rack to cool a little. Serve warm or split and toasted with butter.

Imported from tasteofhome.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.