Kevin's Not Cross Buns
Ingredients
200g sourdough starter
400g tepid water
100g sugar (granulated or caster)
50g melted butter (vegans can substitute oil)
50g rapeseed or other vegetable oil
Mixed spice (or cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, ground cloves and allspice) to taste
600g strong white bread flour
150g wholemeal flour (or other flour for flavour)
Sea salt to taste
Fruits – Traditional - 200g mixed dried fruit and 100g citrus peel
American – 200g dried cranberries and 100g preserved peel (see Kat’s recipe)
1 beaten egg
Not cross paste - 100g plain flour, 100g water , a glug of oil
Method
1. Feed your sourdough starter generously 6-8 hours before you begin.
2. In a large bowl, break up your starter in the tepid water
3. Add your sugar, fats, spices and mix
4. Mix in your flours and leave to autolyse for 30 minutes.
5. Sprinkle your dough with sea salt, then stretch and fold. Leave covered for 30 minutes
6. Stretch and fold again, then leave covered for another 30 minutes.
7. At the last and third fold, add in your choice of dried fruit mix
8. Fold dough into a nice round, then place into an oiled bowl, cover and leave to proof overnight. (In warmer weather it may need to go in the fridge)
9. In the morning, cut into approximately 12 rounds and place on grease proof paper on a baking tray. Leave to rise for an hour or two if you can wait!
10. Heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius
11. Brush buns liberally with beaten egg
12. In a small bowl, mix together flour, water and oil to make your not cross paste.
13. Pipe or use a table knife to drag the paste across your buns in whatever design you choose. If you elect for crosses you should have plenty of mix.
14. Bake for twenty minutes.
15. Turn tray in oven and bake for a further ten minutes to get a golden crust and nice crisp-ish base.
16. Remove and glaze with honey, maple Syrup or even some of the Clementine sugar syrup if you made fresh peel.
17. Serve warm with plenty of butter
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