The afternoon before, combine all the ingredients in a non-reactive bowl. Stir, cover and leave on the bench or in the fridge overnight.

The next day, cook the fruit mixture in a large pan over a low heat. Over the course of about 30 minutes, the liquid should reduce down and become a syrupy glaze. When there’s only about 1-2 tablespoons of syrup, remove the mince from the heat and decant into a lightly oiled bowl. Set aside to cool.

The afternoon before (same time as you make the fruit mince) combine the ingredients for the preferment in a large, non reactive bowl. Cover with cling film and place in a warm spot for 2-3 hours.

Combine all the dry ingredients for the buns in a large bowl, and stir to combine. Place the dry mixture into the bowl of your kitchen stand mixer. Add the preferment and all the wet ingredients except for the butter into the mixer, and use the paddle attachment to combine on a low speed.

Add a few chunks of butter at a time and wait until they’re incorporated before adding the next lot. Repeat until all the butter has been added. The mixture will look quite wet and be very sticky.

Lightly oil a non-reactive bowl and use a spatula to transfer the mixture into the oiled bowl. Lightly oil the top of the dough and cover with plastic. Pop in the fridge overnight.

Line a baking dish with scrunched up baking paper.

Bring the dough out of the fridge. Pour the fruit mince into the dough and use your hands to distribute it evenly through the dough.

Lightly oil your hands and divide the bun mixture into 12-15 small buns. Fit them tightly into the baking dish.

Cover with the same plastic as last night, lightly oiled if it’s touching the buns. Leave the buns in a warm, draft free spot to rise for anywhere from 3-6 hours.

When they’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 220C and fill a small oven proof dish with water. Brush the buns liberally with egg wash, before piping on your cross of choice.

Place the buns in the oven next to the small dish of water. Cook for 20-25 minutes before turning the function to grill and browning the tops to your liking.

Once the buns are cooked to your liking, remove them from the oven and brush them liberally with the melted butter. Finish by brushing them with the maple syrup until they’re sufficiently shiny.