Directions

• Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Remove from the heat, and transfer ¼ cup of the hot milk to a small bowl and let cool to 110-115 degrees, about 1 minute (otherwise you could burn and kill the yeast). It should feel lukewarm. Stir in the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. 
• Meanwhile, whisk the remaining ¼ cup sugar with the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and salt in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.  Set aside.
• Add the butter to the remaining milk in the saucepan and stir until it melts.  Then, pour it into the mixing bowl of dry ingredients, along with the yeast mixture and egg.
• If using a stand mixer, beat with the dough hook on medium-low speed until a smooth elastic ball forms, about 10 minutes.  The dough should feel sticky but not stick to your hands. (If working by hand, mix the ingredients with your hand until a shaggy dough forms, then knead in the bowl to form a ball.)
• Transfer dough to your counter and knead until smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes. You likely won’t need to flour your surface, but if the dough is sticking go ahead and lightly flour your work surface.
• Add the raisins and candied orange peel to the dough and knead them in until evenly distributed. *The proportions of raisins, currant, and orange peel can be adjusted to your taste, just stick to a total combined measurement 1 ¼ cup.*  Form the dough into a ball.
• Generously grease a clean large bowl with vegetable oil, and transfer the dough ball to it. Turn the ball to coat with the oil, then cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1½ hours.
• Meanwhile, butter a 9-by-13-inch cake pan.
• Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide into 12 even pieces with a bench scraper, knife or your hands. Form each piece into a ball by folding it over itself and pulling the dough over the fruit bits so they’re not sticking out. Pinch the seam at the bottom shut and place seam side down on the surface. Roll the ball with your hands in a circular motion to make the ball nice and round. Place in the prepared pan. Repeat with the remaining dough and arrange the balls in a grid.
• At this point, you can cover the pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 day.  When you’re ready to move on – immediately or after a day – the buns now need to rise again. Return the pan to a warm place and let the buns rise until their sides are touching, about 1½ hours (longer if the dough has been chilled).
• While rising, prepare the Cross Topping. Combine all topping ingredients and stir into a smooth paste. Transfer to a pastry bag (or plastic bag and snip a ⅓-inch hole in one corner).
• When the dough is almost done rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees (if you rise your dough in the oven, obviously wait until it’s done before turning the oven on).
• Once risen, pipe lines across the centers of the buns in one direction and then again in the opposite direction so that each bun has a cross (see picture below).
• Bake until risen and browned, 20 to 22 minutes. The internal temperature of a center bun should register 190 degrees.
• While the buns are baking, make the Simple Syrup. Heat the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat. As soon as the buns come out of the oven, brush the syrup evenly over them.
• Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.