I'm attempting to bake hot cross buns for the first time. Gonna live tweet my progress because why not. This may fail...

I'm following this recipe:
https://www.bettys.co.uk/blog/recipe-hot-cross-buns

Initial risks are: I don't have strong flour and I'm going to have to make my own mixed spice.

Strong flour, I've learned, is number 812 in Germany (doesn't help, couldn't find it in the apocalypse).

Mixed spice is a British thing and I'm going to make my own following this mix: https://www.daringgourmet.com/british-mixed-spice/#wprm-recipe-container-48536

This starts to feel like yak shaving, because now I need to figure out what 'all spice' is. Great naming there...Turns out it's 'piment' in Germany. I've googled mace. It's something to do with nutmeg. I'm ignoring it.

Finally to the recipe. Step one, make goop for the crosses.

Recipe says to cover it in cling film and put it in the fridge to relax

I appear to have very independent cling film. It's not clingy at all. Hopefully relaxation can happen anyway.

Mixed spice made! Probably more than I'll ever need. It smells like Christmas. I was sceptical about the coriander but I put it in anyway. Piment ist apparently also 'clove pepper' (literal German translation) so now you know...

Dry ingredients mixed. It smells heavenly so far.

This is the risky part. I do not have any experience baking with fresh yeast. It smells funny. I'm about to dissolve it in tepid water. How warm is tepid? Here goes...

Yeast added. This stuff is sticky.

It said lightly floured but I had to add more cos this stuff is superglue. It smells good but it's glue. Now it's probably too dry....

Mixed fruit. I learned that currants are 'korinthen'. We don't have mixed dried fruit here so I'm using Orangeat. Shrug. We'll see...

Sticky sticky mess...

Biggest problem so far - me thinking that 4x4 is 12 so the sizes aren't the same. Now they're going to 'prove' for 1-2 hours. Which means they're coming sunbathing with me. Let's hope they rise....

I had a peek.... they're rising!

I'm back! Making the glaze (lots of water and sugar, boiled until syrupy).

They rose!

Also my teatowel is gloopy.

Now to start piping 'perfect crosses' onto the buns before bthey get baked ...

I do not own a piping bag so this'll have to do. The substance of this is also glue.

The bag split...

Wondering whether this is strong enough....

Good goddess that was hard work. This stuff could be used to mend spaceships.

Like, proper glue goop

In the oven! Don't burn them now, Alex...

The syrup's done. Also sticky. I'm renaming these sticky buns.

My phone is sticky.

(if you're normally here for testing, agile and ceo-life content, #sorrynotsorry it's the apocalypse).

Three minutes till they're done

Straight from the oven. Look how big the sultanas swell

Oh god the syrup has gone hard and I'm stuck to everything!

Aesthetically I'm impressed! Some have large dollops of sticky sugar syrup, some crosses aren't perfect... They smell right... Now just to actually taste them...

Omg. They taste just right! I am so proud! That was a lot of effort

Now I need to eat 12 hot cross buns....

Happy Easter in these weird times everyone!