Cyder with Eloise

Hot cross buns are traditionally Easter treats, but if Tesco can start to sell them as soon as they have packed up from Christmas then so can I, and these are far superior if I do say so myself.

I use a food mixer here but you can do the preparation in a good sized mixing bowl by hand.

Makes 12 Buns

Ingredients
150ml Milk
60ml Water
60g Caster Sugar
20g Dried yeast
450g White bread flour
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Mixed spice
100g Currents
50g Sultanas
50g Butter, melted
1 Egg, beaten
1 tbsp Clear honey

Method
Heat the milk and water gently in a pan to lukewarm then dissolve 1 tsp of caster sugar. Sprinkle over the dried yeast and stir well. Set aside somewhere warm for 10 minutes, it will start to go frothy.
Into the bowl of the food mixer sift 100g flour and 1 tsp of sugar, add the yeast mixture, mix well and leave to stand for up to 30 minutes until frothy.
Sift the remaining flour and mix in caster sugar, salt, mixed spice, currents and sultanas.
Using a dough hook slowly add the butter, egg and flour mixture a little at a time until the mixture comes together to make a soft dough.
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Return to bowl, cover and leave to rise until doubled in size, approximately 25 minutes.
Meanwhile grease two baking trays.
Turn out on to a floured surface again and gently separate into 12 buns, arrange 6 buns well spaced out on to each baking tray.
Cover and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to gas mark 6 (220c/425f).
Gently cut a cross on top of each bun. Put in the oven for 15 minutes, then turn the heat down to gas mark 4 and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Heat the honey gently in a pan with 25ml of water.
Remove the buns from the oven and using a pastry brush glaze with the honey, then leave to cool on a wire rack.