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Apricot Hot Cross Buns

These Apricot Hot Cross Buns are actually very much the same as theBreadmaker Hot Cross Bunsrecipe I published some years ago! The reason they're apricot is because that's the only dried fruit I'd got in the cupboard and I couldn't get any more because of the Covid-19 lock down! As it turned out, they're very tasty and well-received by the family.  
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Cuisine: British
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • For the dough: ½ tsp Yeast
  • 250 g White flour strong e.g. Canadian
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 25 g butter can be dairy free
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp mixed spice
  • 1 egg
  • 100 ml milk can be dairy free
  • 100 g finely chopped dried apricots
  • For the crosses: 2 Tbsp flour + 2 Tbsp water
  • For glazing: 40g sugar + 4 Tbsp water

Method
 

  1. Attach the kneading blade (if you have one) onto the bread machine spindle then add all the dough ingredients into the bread pan in the above order.
  2. Select the appropriate kneading setting as per your machine's instructions. This is normally about 2 - 2½ hours. If it has an auto dispenser put the dried fruit into it, otherwise add them when indicated by the machine.
  3. When the cycle completes, take out the dough and divide them into eight equal ball shapes. Put them on a lightly greased baking tray which you should put into a warm place (about 40°C) to allow to prove. They ought to take about ½ an hour to more or less double in size.
  4. Meanwhile make the paste: of flour & water which you then pipe onto each bun to make the crosses. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
  5. Pop the tray of buns into the oven for about 15 minutes - just keep an eye on them and take out when they're nicely golden brown.
  6. Meanwhile make the glaze: put the sugar and water in a small pan and boil for about 5 minutes to make a syrup which you brush onto the buns while they're still piping hot!