3 Cheese Hot Cross Buns

3 Cheese Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients
150ml milk, at room temperature
50g unsalted butter
1 tsp salt
450g white bread flour, plus extra for the crosses
7g instant yeast
1 large egg
20g chives, finely snipped
2 tsp Italian herbs
50g parmesan, grated
60g feta, crumbled
100g cheddar cheese, grated

Method
In a saucepan add 80mls of water, the milk and butter. Heat up over low heat just until the butter has melted. Remove from the pan off the heat and allow to cool slightly.

To a bowl of a stand mixer, add in the bread flour, salt, and yeast and mix to combine. Pour in the warm milk mixture and egg. Knead for 10 mins until soft, and elastic. Cover the bowl with clingwrap and allow to rise in a warm, draft free space for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Once the dough has risen, make a fist with your hand and press down gently into the centre of the dough to deflate the air pockets. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface.

Stretch out the dough slightly, and top with the grated cheeses, herbs and chopped chives. Roll up the dough to enclose the cheese and herb mix, then knead for 2 mins to evenly distribute the cheese throughout the dough.

Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and shape each into a ball, and place on a baking tray, prepared with baking paper. Cover loosely with cling wrap or a kitchen towel . Allow to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.

In the meanwhile preheat the oven to 200C. Mix 8 tbsp flour with 6-7 tbsp of water until a thick paste is formed. Transfer to a piping bag and set aside.

Once risen, lightly brush the tops of the buns with milk, pipe til a thick paste is formed. Pipe a line across each row of buns to create crosses. Bake for 20-22 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool completely, and serve warm with butter.