Hot Cross Buns

Considering the weather in London this Easter is slightly more rubbish than usual why not crack into some baking! Put down the chocolate and screw on your kneading gorilla arms and BAKE!

800g strong flour
50g caster sugar
50ml olive oil
250ml buttermilk
250ml milk
250ml water
1 oragnge
1 teaspoon cinamon
1/2 teaspoon groun clove
1 tablespoon dried yeast
50g rasins
50g dried cranberries
20g flaked almonds

EGG WASH:
1 egg
100ml milk

CROSS:
300g plain flour
100g caster sugar
1 egg
25g butter
250ml milk
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

GLAZE:
2 tablespoon apricot or plum jam
50ml water

METHOD:
Put water in a jug with sugar and yeast and leave to ferment for 10 minutes. In a large bowl place the flour, cinnamon, clove, rasins, cranberries, almonds and zest of orange and roughly stir together.
Add the fermented liquid to the dry ingrediends with milk, buttermilk, olive oil, juice of orange and olive oil and knead togther for 10 minutes. After kneading place in a bowl and cover in cling film, leave to ferment for a hour in warm place. Once the dough has proven knock back and knead for 5 more minuts and devide into 18 piece's and knead each piece into a ball. Line baking tray with parchment paper and place dough balls on the tray 3x6 (or you can split between two baking trays 3x3), then beat the egg and milk togther to make a egg wash and brush each bun with the wash. Place the buns in a warm place to prove for another hour.
Once the buns have proven its time to make the cross, melt the butter and place flour in a mixing bowl with sugar and baking powder. Add the butter, egg and milk and stir with a spoon till a paste forms, fold the mixture into a pipping bag with a 2mm nozzle attached and pipe a line down each row of dough balls followed by pipping horizontal lines across the buns. Place buns in a pre-heated oven at 200oC for 15 minutes. Put the jam and water in a small sauce pan and bring to the boil for 1 minutes then remove from heat. Once the buns are cooked brush with the jam and leave to stand for 15 minutes before pulling apart. Best toasted with loads of wonderful butter and apricot jam!