Sourdough Hot Cross Bun Bread

🧂 Ingredients

• ½ cup + ¾ tablespoon milk (I used whole milk)

  (130 grams)
• 1 teaspoon honey or granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons active sourdough starter

  (100 grams)
• ⅓ cup brown sugar (lightly packed)

  (60 grams)
• 5 tablespoons butter (softened)

  (70 grams)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large egg (room temperature)
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon all spice
• 3 cups + 2 ½ tablespoons all purpose flour (or bread flour)

  (409 grams)
• ¾ cup raisins or currents*

  (119 grams)
• ½ cup all purpose flour

  (65 grams)
• ⅓ cup water

  (78 grams)
• 2 tablespoons apricot jam
• 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

• 1 In the stand up mixer whisk the lukewarm milk, honey and active sourdough
  starter to combine. Add the sugar, butter, vanilla, egg, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg,
  allspice and 1 cup (130grams) of flour.
• 2 Start to knead, then add the remaining flour and continue to knead for 3
  minutes. Add the raisins and knead for another 3 minutes. The dough should be a
  little sticky but still pull away from sides of the bowl. (if the dough is too
  dry then add a tablespoon of lukewarm milk at a time)*.
• 3 Move to a lightly floured flat surface and form into a ball.
• 4 Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl turning the dough to coat on all sides,
  cover with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and let rise in a warm draft free
  area for 4-6 hours or until doubled in bulk.
• 5 Gently shape the dough into a loaf shape, (do not ever punch down, sourdough
  dough, your sourdough has spent hours developing and increasing in size,
  punching it down will only undo all that work!)
• 6 Place the dough in a lightly greased loaf pan cover and let rise in a warm draft
  free area for 2-3 hours or until puffy.
• 7 Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C).
• 8 Once the dough has risen, place the paste in a piping bag with the small round
  tip, pipe a cross down the middle lengthwise and 3-4 lines across. Bake for
  approximately 35-45 minutes or until the bread is baked. If the bread is
  browning too much, cover with foil and continue baking.
• 9 Immediately move the baked dough to a wire rack to cool. While the bread is
  still warm you can brush it with the glaze. Let cool completely before serving.
• 10 Mix the flour and water until a thick paste occurs, add a little more water or
  flour if necessary). With a piping bag and a small whole tip, pipe a cross down
  the middle lengthwise and 3-4 lines across.
• 11 In a small bowl mix together the jam and water, you can also heat it in a small
  pot if you wish.

Nutrition Info