Sourdough Hot Cross Buns

INGREDIENTS

100 g sourdough starter (discard or from the fridge)

3/4 cup whole milk

2 eggs

2 Tbls honey

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbls plus 2 tsp melted butter

1/2 zested and juiced orange

3 cups plus 2 tbls Sonora flour

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup rum soaked currants or sultanas (soak for 1 hour)

METHOD

Buns: Begin the day before you want to serve. Mix sourdough starter, milk, eggs, honey, vanilla, melted butter, and orange juice and zest. In a separate bowl, mix flour, spices, and salt. Add dry ingredients to the wet slowly and knead well. When well developed, gradually add currants or sultanas and continue kneading. Cover with a tea towel in a warm place and proof for three hours. Next, place dough on a lightly floured board. Using a bench knife, cut the dough evenly into fourths. Then cut each of those fourths into four making 16 buns in total. Shape each piece into a ball. Put them in a buttered 9 x 9 baking pan, cover with a tea towel and proof overnight, at least 12 hours at room temperature.

Crosses: After proofing overnight, mix 50 g Sonora flour with 60+ g water until a thick paste is formed. Place the paste in a zip lock bag and snip the corner. Before the buns go in the oven, pipe crosses onto the buns.

Glaze: Bake the buns at 400F degrees for 10 minutes, then lower the oven to 375 and bake until light brown (8-10 more minutes). Do not overbake. While the buns are in the oven, mix 5 tbls sugar with 5 tbls milk. Bring to a boil in a saucepan. As soon as buns are out of the oven, brush the buns with the glaze. Allow to cool slightly. Serve with cold butter.