Hot Cross Buns

Grease and dust a six inch square pan.

Heat water and butter till butter melts.

Wait till water becomes lukewarm.

Dip your finger to check, if it feels just warm, we can proceed.

Combine water and starter.

Now add flour, jaggery, yeast and spices.

Mix well. Cover and leave it for 30 minutes to an hour.

This is called autolyse. This will help the gluten to develop and reduce our kneading time.

Sanitize the counter top with a few drops of lemon juice.

Transfer the dough to the counter top.

Now knead it well.

If you feel you have to exert pressure while kneading, add a tbsp of water at a time till you get a soft dough. I had to add 2 tbsp of water.

While kneading grease your hands if the dough sticks to your hands.

Don't be tempted to add more flour.

Knead till you get a very smooth dough.

You can do a window pane test to check if your dough is ready or not.

Now add lemon zest and dried fruits.

Knead for a minute and transfer the dough to a greased bowl. Turn the dough to cover it will oil on all sides.

Cover the bowl with cling film.

Let it rest till it doubles in size.

Will take around 1.5 to 2 hours.

Time will also depend on the temperature in your kitchen.

Carefully transfer the dough to counter top.

Divide it into 4 .

Shape each into a ball.

Keep them in a six inch square tin, prepared earlier.

Brush them with melted butter.

Cover them with cling film.

Let them double in size.

Mix flour and water to make a soft dough for cross.

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.

Brush the buns with milk.

Using a piping bag, make cross on each bun with the soft dough that we have prepared.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, till they are nicely browned.

Remove them onto a wire rack to cool.

To prepare the glaze: warm water , sugar and jam in a pan.

Brush this over warm buns.