Hot Cross Buns

Recipe adapted from Taste.com.au

In a large bowl mix the flour, yeast, sugar, spices, salt, raisins and sultanas together. In a small pan melt the butter and add the milk to it. Heat until lukewarm and pour into the flour mixture.

Add the beaten eggs on top and mix until the dough forms a ball, coming away from the sides of the bowl. Lightly grease the bowl with olive oil and set aside.

Dump the dough onto a flour dusted work top and work it into a nice round ball. Place back into the large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for about 1 1/2 hours and doubled in size.

Once the dough has risen, butter a 13 x 9 inch cookie tray and set aside. Dump dough back out onto the table. Knock all of the air out of it and divide it into 12 equal parts. Roll each piece of dough into a ball and place on the buttered baking sheet, seam side down until you have a 4 x 3 formation.

Cover loosely with plastic and let rest for about another 2 hours until well risen and the balls are butting up against each other.

Once the buns are ready for the oven, preheat the oven to 385ºF. Mix the flour and water for the flour cross mixture. Add it to a small zip lock bag and snip the corner from it. Use this to pipe the long lines from one end of the buns to the other. Turn it around and line the buns again creating the cross shape.

Place them in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.

As they are baking, make the syrup glaze. Bring water and sugar to a boil in a small pan and simmer for about 2 minutes. Once they come out of the oven, glaze liberally at once with the syrup and let cool for 10 minutes.

Serve warm with butter.