INGREDIENTS

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Fate Hot Cross Buns

BUNS

• 500g Fate All-Purpose Mix
• Sachet Yeast (Enclosed with the mix)
• Pinch salt
• 75g  Demerara sugar
• 1 tsp mixed spice or cinnamon
• 100 mls oil
• 420mls warm water
• 2250g mixed dried fruit
• extra Fate All-Purpose Mix to shape

SUGAR GLAZE

• 75g caster sugar
• 75mls water

METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven Gas 6/200 Degrees
2. Place the All-Purpose Mix, yeast, salt, Demerara sugar and spice into a mixing bowl. Stir well. Put the measured oil and water into separate jug.
3. Pour the oil and water all at once onto the dry ingredients and have ready an electric hand mixer with dough hooks to get everything blended together. It will be runny to begin with but after about 20-30 seconds, the mixture will begin to thicken.
4. Then mix very gently on slow speed without beating for 1 1/2-2. minutes. Do not lift beaters out of the mixture, just gently glide them around the bowl so that everything gets well blended. It should be smooth and silky.
5. Using a large metal spoon, stir in the fruit.
6. Take a piece of cling film and place it on your scales. Sprinkle it with a little All-Purpose Mix. Also dust your hands with a little of the All-Purpose Mix. Using a large metal spoon, take some of the dough and weigh about 100g.
7. Using the cling film to help you, transfer the mixture into your other (dusted) hand, and gently pass the mixture from one hand to the other, just once or twice so that the surface is smoothed and a round bun shape is made. Continue with the rest of the dough. You may only want to weigh out the dough for the first few buns until you are used to their size.
8. REMEMBER AS LONG AS YOU HAVE A LITTLE ALL-PURPOSE MIX ON YOUR HANDS, THE DOUGH WILL NOT BE STICKY
9. Place the buns onto two greased baking sheets, leaving room between them to rise. Place the baking trays into large polythene bags and tie the ends up, trapping enough air so that the polythene is lifted well above the buns.
10. Leave in a warm place to prove. They need to be about doubled in size before they go into the oven which should take about 20-30 minutes.
11. Place into a pre-heated oven Gas 6/200 degrees for about 30 minutes until golden brown.
12. Meanwhile make a sugar glaze by putting the sugar and water into a small pan and bring it to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. The syrup will have thickened slightly. (Be very careful because the glaze is very hot).
13. When the buns are cooked, take them out of the oven and immediately brush them with the hot sugar syrup to glaze them. This will give them the traditional sticky shiny top.

The buns freeze well.