Cranberry, pecan & honey hot cross buns

Name: Cranberry, pecan & honey hot cross buns
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 250 ml whole milk; 50 g butter; 50 g clear honey, plus 2 tbsp for glazing; 1 medium Waitrose British Blacktail Egg; 500 g strong white bread flour; 50 g caster sugar; 10 g salt; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; 10 g fast action yeast; 150 g dried cranberries, chopped; 50 g pecan nuts, chopped; Oil, for greasing; 50 g plain flour

The hot cross bun is a great base for experimentation, and this variation by Martha Collison is a winner!

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Vegetarian

Makes10
CourseSnack
Prepare45 mins
Cook20 mins
Total time1 hr 5 mins
Plusproving time

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Ingredients

250ml whole milk
50g butter
50g clear honey, plus 2 tbsp for glazing
1 medium Waitrose British Blacktail Egg
500g strong white bread flour
50g caster sugar
10g salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
10g fast action yeast
150g dried cranberries, chopped
50g pecan nuts, chopped
Oil, for greasing
50g plain flour

Method

Place the milk, butter and honey into a saucepan and gently warm through until the butter has melted. Set to one side to cool to room temperature, then beat in the egg.
Put the bread flour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the sugar, salt and cinnamon to one side of the bowl, and the yeast to the other. Using the dough hook on medium speed, slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the flour and knead for 4-5 minutes, or until a smooth and elastic dough has formed. You might not need to add all the milk or you might need a splash more to clean any floury patches from the inside of the bowl. Add the cranberries and pecan nuts and knead until combined.
When the dough feels soft and silky, place it in a lightly oiled bowl and leave to rise for at least 1 hour or until at least doubled in size. Line 2 baking trays with baking parchment.
Tip the risen dough onto a work surface and fold it repeatedly over itself to knock out any large pockets of air. Divide the dough into 10 pieces and use a cupped hand to roll them into balls. Evenly space the dough on the prepared baking trays, leaving enough room for them to double in size. Cover and leave for 1 hour or until the buns are noticeably larger. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6.
For the crosses, mix the plain flour with a few teaspoons of water to make a loose paste. Transfer the paste into a piping bag and pipe a thin line in a cross shape over each bun. Bake the buns in a hot oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown all over. While the buns are still hot, use a pastry brush to paint honey all over the tops. Enjoy warm or cold, also delicious toasted.