Brioche Hot Cross Buns

In a small bowl, cover the dried fruit with boiling water and set aside.
To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the yeast, warm milk and 1 tablespoon of the measured sugar. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it looks puffy.
Add the eggs and vanilla to the bowl and give it a whisk to break up the eggs.
Add the remaining sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, all spice and nutmeg and just use the dough hook attachment with your hand to roughly mix it to shaggy dough.
Attach the dough hook attachment to the stand mixer and knead the dough for 4 minutes on low speed. This will get everything really well incorporated.
Add ¼ of the softened butter and knead on low speed for roughly 2 minutes or until the butter has all been incorporated. Repeat this 3 more times with the remaining butter, each time allowing the portion of butter to be incorporated before adding the next portion. By the end of this step the dough will be very loose and sticky.
Turn the mixer up 1 setting (low-medium speed) and beat for 15-20 minutes until the dough has pulled away from the sides, looks smooth and is soft but not sticky. You should also be able to do the window pane test where you gently pull a piece of dough out thin enough that you can nearly see through it without it tearing.
Drain the fruit and dab dry with paper towel then add it to the dough. Use your hands to knead the fruit into the dough until it is just combined.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm (not hot) place until doubled in size (1 - 2 hours). The time required will depend on the ambient temperature it is left sitting at.
Line a 23x33cm / 9x13 inch pan or lamington pan with baking paper.
Punch the dough down. Divide the dough into 12 even portions.
For even brioche hot cross buns, weigh the ball of dough, then divide that by 12 and weigh each portion as you make the buns.
Working with one portion at a time, shape the dough into balls - start by folding the sides in to roughly smooth off the other side, then sit it bottom side down, smoothest side up onto a clean work surface (not floured). Cup your little fingers around the bottom edges of the bun and drag/roll it towards you until you have a smooth little ball.
Place the dough balls into the prepared pan, cover with plastic wrap and leave to double in size again 45-60 minutes (or you can proof them in the fridge for up to 24 hours)
Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan forced) / 400F. If your buns proofed in the fridge overnight, bring them out 1-2 hours before baking to give them time to puff up to double their original size.
Whisk together the egg yolk and the dash of milk, then brush lightly over the buns with a pastry brush.
In a small bowl, mix together the remaining flour and water until you have a smooth pipeable paste (add a little water as necessary but make sure it’s of a pipeable consistency).
Transfer the paste into a plastic sandwich bag or piping bag and snip off the corner or tip to leave just a small hole.
Pipe a line of paste along the middle of one whole row of buns, then repeat on the remaining rows. Turn the pan 90 degrees and pipe another line over the middle of each row so you have a cross over each bun.
Place in the oven and cook for 22-25 minutes or until the top is nice and golden brown. Bread is fully baked when a thermometer inserted into the centre hits 90°C / 190°F.
Let them cool a little before serving but they can be served warm or at room temperature, or you can toast them. Spread with butter, jams, fruit curds or whatever you love.
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Ingredients

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Equipment

Instructions

Notes