Hot cross tea bread

A delicious alternative to hot cross buns, this hot cross tea bread is bound to please. 

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 200ml milk
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 7g sachet dry active yeast
• 400g strong (baker's) flour (see note)
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 50g light muscovado sugar (see note)
• 175g mixed dried fruit
• 50g unsalted butter, melted, cooled
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Butter, to serve

• To decorate

• 2 tbs plain flour
• 2 tbs caster sugar

 

Method

1. Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until lukewarm. Combine the caster sugar, yeast and 100g flour with the warm milk in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place for 25 minutes or until bubbles form on the surface.
2. Grease an 18cm springform cake pan.
3. In a large bowl, sift together the cinnamon, nutmeg, remaining flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir in the muscovado sugar and dried fruit, then add the yeast mixture, cooled melted butter and egg. Bring mixture together with your hands, gently kneading for 2-3 minutes until combined. Transfer to an electric mixer with a dough hook attached, or knead by hand on a floured work surface, for 5-6 minutes or until you have a smooth dough. Shape the dough into a round and place in the cake pan. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour 30 minutes. The dough should rise to just above the rim of the pan.
4. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
5. For the cross decoration, combine the plain flour with 2 tablespoons of cold water in a bowl, mixing until you have a smooth paste. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a small plain nozzle (or place mixture in a snap-lock bag, pushing into a corner, then snip off corner) and pipe a cross on top of the bun.
6. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and cooked through. Cool slightly in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack.
7. Meanwhile, to make a glaze, place the 2 tablespoons caster sugar in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons water and simmer for 1 minute or until the sugar dissolves. Brush the glaze over the bun, then serve warm with butter.
8. Any leftover tea bread can be served toasted the next day.

 

Notes

Strong flour is from supermarkets. Muscovado sugar is from gourmet food stores. Substitute brown sugar.