Hot Cross Buns - cooking recipe

Ingredients

5 cups flour
1 tsp mixed spice, such as pumpkin pie spice
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 pkg (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
1/2 cup currants
1/2 cup lukewarm milk, plus additional, for brushing
1 None egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup self-rising flour
None None FOR THE GLAZE
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp unflavored gelatin

Preparation

Sift flour, mixed spice and 1 tsp salt into a large bowl. Rub in butter using fingertips, just until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in sugar, yeast and currants.
Make a well in center of dry ingredients. Stir in 1/2 cup warm water, milk and egg, gradually incorporating flour mixture until a soft dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough until smooth and elastic. Shape gently into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Turn over once so top of dough is greased.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Set aside to rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.
Lightly grease a baking pan or two 8-inch cake pans. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat out to 1-inch thickness. Cut into 14 pieces and gently shape each into a ball, keeping tops smooth as you shape. Place on prepared pan(s). Cover loosely with plastic wrap and a tea towel and set aside to rise in a warm place for 20-30 mins, until doubled again.
Preheat the oven to 400\u00b0F. Brush buns with additional milk. Combine self-rising flour and 1/4 cup water in a small bowl and mix until smooth. Spoon into a plastic bag; snip corner. Pipe crosses on buns.
Bake buns for 15 mins, until golden brown. Meanwhile, for the glaze, stir 2 tbsp warm water, sugar and gelatin until sugar dissolves. Brush buns with glaze. Let stand buns in open, turned-off oven for a few minutes, until glaze dries. Serve warm or toasted.