Hot Cross Buns

Recipe via RS class

Dissolve:
1 cup lukewarm water
1 tsp sugar
3 TBSP yeast

1 1/3 cups milk - heat to lukewarm
1 cup butter
1 1/3 cup lukewarm water
1 1/3 cups sugar
Beat 6 eggs(for glaze need 1 egg white so throw extra egg yolk into 6 eggs and set aside egg white)

10 - 12 cups flour
Add to flour:
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice

For fruit of choice:
Raisins or currants
Green and red cherries -
450 gram size - fancy mixed fruit (deluxe fruit mix does not have the bitter peel)

Cut fruit up small - too big of chunks or too much fruit will make dough heavy and won't rise nicely
To milk mixture add 3- 4 cups flour ** (before adding yeast - never let the yeast touch the shortening
Then add yeast, half of flour, eggs,
Last of flour with 3 tsp salt added to it
Beat till smooth and knead
Rise till double - punch down - rise again
Separate into 6 portions - 12 buns per portion - 72 buns

To form bun:
Make scope of hand - rolling and tucking bun into a smooth ball - do not use too much flour on counter top as you want a bit of stick - do not handle dough too much

Put on pans and brush with glaze - beat 1 egg white with 1 tsp water
Cover with plastic garbage bag and let rise till double.
Bake @ 325 for 2 minutes

Cool and pipe butter icing on with pastry tube or use a cream cheese icing:
1 cup butter
2 cups icing sugar
1 - 8oz cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla