Sour Dough, Hot Cross Buns

This recipe is best if started the day before.
It makes 16 substantial buns that are loaded with fruit.
The dough is very soft, so well suited to the TMX.  The dried fruit added at the end of the first kneed absorbs some of the moisture in the dough.
The glaze is non sticky .
Ingredients

500 g Bakers/bread flour, (I use Laucke Crusty White)
450g Sour Dough Starter
250 g milk
90g butter
40 g sugar
40g peel,  or grated rind of one orange
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
100g sultanas
150g dried cranberries
50g currants

method

I have updated the method section of this recipe.  13/3/18

Prior to starting to make Buns, activate starter.  This could take up to 7 hours in cold weather.


Add egg and sugar to TMX bowl, mix speed 5 / 5 seconds
Heat milk and butter until just warm,  on stove or in Microwave, then add to TMX bowl.
Mix speed 7 for 30 seconds.
Add flour, Sour Dough starter , Peel and spices.  Kneed for 3 minutes
tip into large bowl.
Tip fruit on top of dough and stir and fold in with large spoon.
Spray with water and cover with shower cap or plastic film.
Set aside in a warm place and allow to double, probably overnight is best.
Mine took 15 hours in a temperature of 13 o C.

This proving works best if you have 2 ovens.
HEAT OVEN FOR 15 MINUTES AT 100 o C, Turn off.
HEAT LARGE OVEN DISH WITH WATER ON STOVE WHILE FORMING BUNS
Tip contents of bowl on to well floured silmat and kneed by hand for 5 minutes. Add flour as needed until the dough is no longer sticky.
Divide in half and roll into a long sausage , cut into 8 even pieces.and form into round buns.
Make sure no fruit is sticking out on the top as it will burn.
place on a lined baking tray.
repeat with second piece of dough.
Spray with water.
Brush with egg and sugar glaze
Place tray with buns in warm oven that has hot water in bottom of oven.
 After 30 minutes remove from oven and brush with egg and sugar glaze again and then pipe crosses on buns.
Return to oven to double.

If you don't have a double oven, prove buns over a sink of hot water , on the tray and cover sink with tablecloth.  make sure the cloth doesn't tough the buns.   I stand 4 tall drink bottles at each corner to protect buns.

Bake in Preheated oven at 200 o C FF for 10 minutes,  turn tray, then bake 15 minutes at 190 o FF.  If not brown on top , bake for another 5 minutes at 200 o FF.
If browning too fast, cover with foil.
When baked and removed from oven,  brush again with egg and sugar mix.
Cool on rack.

Piping mix
80 g flour
100g water
1 teaspoon of salt and oil.
Mix until smooth.
Place in small plastic sandwich bag with SMALL hole in corner.

Non sticky glaze
1 egg
2 teaspoons of milk
1 dessertspoon of caster sugar.
Mix 30 seconds speed 5.



Notes
You can reduce the dried fruit if you wish or even replace with different fruit.
Could be made into 20 smaller buns.
By placing buns closer together they will rise more.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT NOT TO HURRY THE TWO RISINGS AS THIS WILL RESULT IN A VERY HEAVY BUN.