Fig and Pecan Hot Cross Buns

Sorry. Video is not available for this recipe.
This recipe pre-dates my 5 Ingredients philosophy.

Fig and Pecan Hot Cross Buns

From Stonesoup

Adapted from my Mum’s classic: The Australian Womans Weekly Cookbook.

The other option is to do as I did on Easter Saturday afternoon and double the mix to make one batch for afternoon tea and leave the other to rise overnight so you can have them straight from the oven for Easter Sunday breakfast. Delicious either with a slab of unsalted butter or some of my Mum’s awesome fig jam.

Makes 15
500g plain flour
1t salt
2 sachets yeast
1C milk
60g butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
1t mixed spice
1t ground cinnamon
200g chopped figs
120g chopped pecans, lightly toasted
paste for crosses:
1/2C plain flour
1/3C water

1. Warm milk until nice and tepid. You want it to be about body temperature so use your finger and if it feels cool it need to be warmer and if it feels hot you need to cool it down. Sprinkle the yeast on the top of the milk and then very gently stir through. Leave for at least 10 mins for the yeast to rehydrate and wake up.

2. Combine flour, salt, spices, figs and walnuts in a large bowl. When the yeast is ready (it should start to bubble a bit) combine with the egg and butter then stir the wet mix into the flour mix to form a wet dough. Turn onto a floured bench and knead for approx 5 mins until dough is smooth. You want it to be just past the sticky stage so add more flour if it is sticking as you knead.

3. Return dough to the bowl and cover with cling wrap. Now you can either leave in a warm (but not too hot) place to rise for about 45 mins to 1 hr or you can place it in the fridge for a long slow rise overnight.

4. Preheat the oven to 225oC (450F). When the dough has doubled in size, gently punch it down and divide into 15 equal sized pieces. Pat the pieces into squarish shaped buns and place in rows in a greased lamington tin (approx 28cm x 18cm). Leave in a warm place to rise for about 15 minutes.