Thought that we had better include this here as it really does belong with Easter foods.
HOT CROSS TEA BREAD200ml milk
1 tsp caster sugar
2 tsp dry yeast
400g baker’s flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt
50g light muscovado sugar or brown sugar
175g mixed dried fruit
50g unsalted butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
Suggest weighing everything that needs it with your normal scales before beginning.Place milk into TM bowl, heat on
37°C/1 min + 10 secs/spoon.
Add the caster sugar, yeast and 100g of the already weighed flour.
Mix on
speed 3 for a few secs until smooth. Leave sitting in the bowl in the machine for approx 30-45 mins or until bubbles form on the surface. Grease an 18cm springform cake pan.
Melt butter and put aside.
In a bowl, sift together the cinnamon, nutmeg, remaining 300g flour and salt.
Mix in the muscovado/brown sugar and dried fruit, (I used my fingers to mix and break up any clumps of fruit) then add
to the yeast mixture in the TM bowl, along with the cooled melted butter and egg.
Mix on
speed 1/1 min .- or until combined. I did this, but am thinking you may not need to, just knead straight away for a bit longer?
Set dial to
closed lid and
knead for 2 ½ mins until you have a smooth dough.
Shape the dough into a round (will feel a bit sticky when you first take out of bowl, but loses that quickly when you shape into a round).
Place in the cake pan. Cover with a clean tea towel/clingwrap (I lightly sprayed clingwrap with oil and covered the pan, the dough didn’t stick to it when it rose above the rim).
Leave to rise in a warm place for 1 ½ hours. The dough should rise to just above the rim of the pan.
Preheat oven 200c. and clean the TM bowl if making the glaze in it.
For the cross2 tblsp plain flour
1 tsp caster sugar
2 tblsp cold water (use bit less so not as runny) after mixing I added a little more flour to thicken up a bit.
Combine the plain flour, sugar and water in a bowl, mixing until you have a smooth paste. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a small plain nozzle or place mixture in a snap lock bag, pushing into a corner, then snip off corner and pipe a cross on top of the bun. (I used the snap lock bag - didn’t use all of it either so could cut down quantities).
Place the pan in the oven and bake for 30-35 mins until golden and cooked through.
Glaze - Either make the glaze in the TM or in a small saucepan on the stove top. (I used saucepan)
2 tblsp caster sugar
2 tblsp cold water
Place the caster sugar in the clean TM bowl. Add water and cook on
37°C/2 mins or until sugar has dissolved.
When bun is cooked, remove from oven, cool for about a minute in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack. Brush with glaze, (I brushed the sides too).
Slice and spread with butter.
Any leftover tea bread can be served toasted the next day.
Notes:I've had this recipe for a little while even though I hadn't gotten around to making it, so this morning I converted to making in the TM. I am so pleased with how it turned out. Has just the right amount of sweetness and fruit, and tastes just like hot cross buns. Because you can slice, it should be perfect for putting in the toaster and as with all of these sorts of breads they are only fresh on day of baking. Of course if you want to make at other times of the year, just don't mark with the cross and you have a lovely glazed tea cake or even ice if you want to.
Julie.
