Spiced fruit buns

These are based on hot cross buns, which we love and haven't always been able to get hold of in our travels around the world. This version is more of a spicy teacake, delicious toasted and buttered and is one of our favourite breakfast foods. In Canada I couldn't get hold of mixed spice, but I could buy tea masala, an Indian spice mix used for making spiced chai tea. Slightly more peppery than the mixed spice I buy in England, it works really well. If you can't get mixed spice, use ground cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. They freeze really well; put them in ziplok bags once they are cool and freeze the day you make them.

• 540g plain flour
• 50g granulated sugar
• 2.5 tsp dried yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tsp mixed spice
• 50g dried mixed peel
• 150g dried fruit (mainly raisins and sultanas, but a few cranberries, cherries or apricots are a nice addition)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 200ml warm milk
• warm water
• 40g butter, melted

1. Put all the dry ingredients in a mixer bowl.
2. Add the milk to the beaten egg, stir in the melted butter, then top up to 400ml with warm water.
3. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients.
4. Knead using a dough hook attachment (or by hand if you don't have a mixer). Add more flour if the mixture is too wet.
5. Shape into buns using around 90g for each bun. This usually ends up with 13 buns, a baker's dozen.
6. Place on a baking sheet, cover with a cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until roughly doubled in size.
7. Optional - for hot cross buns, make a paste from 75g flour and about 5 tbsp water and pipe crosses onto each bun after proving.
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 F/220 C for about 10 - 15 minutes until golden and cooked through.
9. Optional - glaze the buns: immediately on removing from the oven, pour over a sugar syrup made from 2 tbsp water and 2 tbsp sugar, heated together until reduced and syrupy (but not caramelized).