500g| 1.1 lbs | 4 cups white bread flour + more for dusting & rolling
200ml| 6.7 fl ozscant cup whole milk + 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
100g| 3.5oz soft light brown sugar
75g| 2.6oz unsalted butter
3medium eggslightly beaten
2tspdry active yeast1 packet
1tspsalt
1tspvanilla extract
1tspground cinnamon
1/2tspground cardamomor mixed spice
1/4tspfreshly grated nutmeg
zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon
100g| 1/2 cup raisins or currants
75g| 2.6oz mixed peel
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100g| 3.5oz unsalted buttermelted
100g| 3.5oz soft light brown sugarmore if needed
a few tablespoons ground cinnamonas needed
1egg beaten with 2 tsp milk or cream to glaze
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60g| 2oz icing sugarsifted
1/2tbspmilk or more if needed
2tspvanilla extract
Instructions
Put the milk and butter in a small saucepan and heat gently until the butter is just melted. Set aside to cool until barely warm. Stir in the orange juice, vanilla extract, zest and eggs.
Put the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and spices in the bowl of your stand mixer and mix together briefly. Add the liquid ingredients and mix on medium-low speed using the dough hook for 7-10 minutes. Alternatively knead by hand for about 15 minutes until the dough is no longer sticky and forms a glossy ball.
eave the dough in the mixing bowl, (or put a large, lightly greased bowl) cover, and leave for 1-2 hours or until nearly double in size.
Tip your dough onto a lightly floured worktop and press lightly to deflate. Add the raisins and mixed peel and knead them in. The dough should be on the sticky side – resist the urge to add more flour unless it is too sticky to work with.
Dust your rolling pin with flour then roll the dough out into a rectangle shape.
Liberally brush melted butter on the dough then sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon leaving a small border all around. Press the filling lightly onto the dough with the palms of your hands. The filling should be slightly moistened by the butter - do not add too much otherwise the buns will unravel as they bake.
Roll the dough, starting from the long side, into a roll. Brush the underside with melted butter as you roll so that it sticks to the filling.
Trim the edges. Cut into 9 even pieces using a pastry cutter. Place the buns on a heavy tray lined with greased baking paper, spacing them slightly apart. Cover with a plastic bag and let them rise for an hour.
Preheat your over to 180C/350F. Brush the buns with the egg wash and bake for about 30 minutes. If your buns are colouring too rapidly, tent with some foil after 20 minutes.
Leave the buns to cool for 10 minutes. Mix the icing sugar, milk and vanilla extract until you have a thick but pourable glaze then drizzle or pipe a cross shape over the buns.
Notes
To make the dough in a bread maker, add all the liquid ingredients into the machine container. Cover with the flour, sugar, salt and finally the yeast. Use the dough programme to mix and prove the dough and then continue from step 4.