Hot cross buns, counted in percentages
No sourdough this time. Enriched doughs with this much butter, sugar and fruit are slow enough with commercial yeast, and I wanted buns on the table by mid-afternoon rather than on Easter Monday.
| Ingredient | Percent | Grams |
|---|---|---|
| Strong white flour | 100% | 500 |
| Whole milk, warm | 55% | 275 |
| Butter, soft | 10% | 50 |
| Caster sugar | 10% | 50 |
| Egg (one large, shelled) | 10% | 50 |
| Instant yeast | 1.4% | 7 |
| Salt | 1.6% | 8 |
| Mixed spice | 1% | 5 |
| Currants and sultanas | 30% | 150 |
| Candied peel | 10% | 50 |
Salt sits a little under the usual 2% because the sugar and spice already slow the yeast and I did not want to slow it further. Knead everything except the fruit for about ten minutes, until the dough is smooth and only slightly tacky, then work the fruit in. First rise about 90 minutes in a 23 °C kitchen.
Divide into twelve pieces of roughly 95 g, shape into tight balls, and pack them into a lined tray so they touch. Second rise 45 minutes. Pipe the crosses from 75 g flour mixed with 75 g water, which is uglier than it sounds and works perfectly. Bake at 200 °C for 18 minutes, then brush with warm apricot jam while they are hot.
My crosses wandered. Two of the buns have something closer to a plus sign drawn by a toddler. They tasted exactly the same.