In a small bowl, combine warm milk, sugar & yeast. Let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, garlic powder & dried herbs. Mix well.
Add the yeast mixture, melted butter & beaten egg to the dry ingredients. Mix until a dough forms. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel & let it rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
Punch down the dough & divide it into 8 equal portions. Flatten each portion & place a cube of cheese in the center. Fold the dough over the cheese & shape into a ball. Place the buns on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a kitchen towel & let them rise for another 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 F.
In a small bowl, mix flour & water to make a paste. Transfer the paste to a piping bag or a plastic bag with a small corner cut off. Pipe a cross shape on top of each bun with the flour paste.
Bake the buns for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven & brush buns with melted butter. Allow the buns to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Assemble Bacon & Egg Buns
Grate cheese & slice tomato or ready tomato sauce.
On a griddle, fry bacon until it is beginning to crisp. Blot bacon on paper towels then set aside to keep warm.
Slice buns in half & LIGHTLY butter cut sides. Wipe excess bacon drippings off griddle then place buns on it to toast lightly. Remove to serving platter & keep warm. Place 8 eggs on the griddle & cook just until whites are set.
Top each toasted bun base with an egg, bacon, cheese, sauce (or tomato slice) & avocado slices. Season with salt & pepper. Sandwich with bun tops & serve.
Recipe Notes
• Alternately, if there is no time for making the savory hot cross buns from scratch, purchased ones will work just as well.