Hot Cross Buns
Make the most of the long Easter weekend and fill the house with the smell of freshly baked Hot Cross Buns
Make these delicious Easter treats from the comfort of your own home.
Ingredients
- 525g Strong bread flour
- 7g Dried Active Yeast
- 1tsp Fine salt
- 75g Light brown Sugar
- 150g Unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 200ml Whole Milk
- 4 Large Eggs
- 200g Raisins or currants
- 30g Mixed Peel
- 2 tsp Mixed spice
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp Ground or fresh nutmeg
- For the crosses:
- 3 tbsp Whole Milk
- 3 tbsp Plain Flour
- 1 Egg yolk
- For the glaze:
- 3 tbsp Apricot jam or marmalade
Method
- In a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, yeast, salt, sugar and spices until combined. Fit the dough hook attachment and on low speed add the milk, eggs and butter to the flour mixture. When the mixture combines into a soft, sticky looking dough, increase the speed and work the dough until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer dough to a greased or oiled bowl and let proof for 2 hours. Once proofed transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface (at this point it is important not to incorporate too much extra flour) and press into a rough rectangle. Spread the raisins or currants and mixed peel over the dough. Fold the edges of the dough in and knead until the fruit is evenly distributed amongst the dough. Don’t worry if the fruit starts to fall out of the dough, this is perfectly normal, just press it back in.
- To shape the buns, it is best to use a digital scale. Place a sheet of greaseproof on the surface of your scale and cut or pinch off pieces of dough, weighing each piece so that they’re all roughly the same weight. Roll each piece of dough into a tight ball. To do so you can either roll between the palms of your hands or you can place the dough onto a non floured surface and cup your hand over it, pulling into a taught ball by placing pressure with the palm of your hand. Place all the rolled buns onto a baking sheed lined with greaseproof paper, making sure the buns have a little space in between – roughly half an inch.
- Cover and place in the fridge to proof overnight (remove from the fridge 30 minutes before piping crosses and baking) or let the buns proof for 1.5-2 hours until you can press a bun lightly with a floured finger and the indentation will not spring back all the way. Once proofed, mix the egg yolk with a teaspoon of water and brush onto the surface of each bun.
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees fan.
- To pipe the crosses, mix the milk into the flour until a thick paste forms. The paste needs to be thick but pipeable, with a little movement. Transfer the mixture into a piping bag with cut the tip to the diameter of a pencil. Pipe crosses onto the buns.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet to ensure even browning. Remove the buns from the oven and let cool for ten minutes on the baking sheet. Mix the apricot jam with 2tbsp water in a small saucepan. Heat on medium heat until the glaze is pouring consistency and hot. Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze over each bun ensuring the surface is evenly coated and shiny.
- Let cool until room temperature or enjoy warm.
