HOT CROSS BUNS
Hot Cross Buns are sweet and spicy buns usually made with some dried fruit and is marked with a cross on top. Traditionally enjoyed on Good Friday, the buns also mark the end of Lent.
Ingredients
FOR THE HOT CROSS BUNS DOUGH:
- ½ cup fresh orange juice or apple juice hot
- ¾ cups raisins, sultana, mixed peel mixture
- 3½ cups plain flour/ bread flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tsp instant active dry yeast
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- ¼ tsp nutmeg powder
- ¼ tsp clove powder
- 2 large eggs room temperature, beaten
- 6 tbsp butter melt it and cool
- ¾ cup milk warm
- 1 tbsp orange zest
FOR THE FLOUR PASTE:
- ½ cup plain flour
- 3-5 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp sugar
FOR THE EGG WASH:
- 1 small egg
- 1 tbsp milk
FOR THE SUGAR GLAZE:
- ½ cup caster sugar
- 6 tbsp water
Instructions
SOAK THE DRIED FRUITS:
- Heat up the orange juice or apple juice till it becomes hot.
- Add the dried fruit mixture to the hot juice. Mix and allow it to soak for at least 15-20 minutes.
PREPARATION OF THE HOT CROSS BUNS DOUGH:
- Sift 3 cups of flour, salt and the spice powders together into a big mixing bowl.
- Add sugar and yeast. If you are using normal active dry yeast, allow it to ferment in the measured warm milk.
- Add warm milk, melted butter, beaten eggs and orange zest to the flour.
- Drain out the soaked fruits. Save the liquid.
- Sprinkle about 3-4 tbsp flour( from the remaining half cup) over the soaked fruit. Mix gently.
- Add the liquid and the soaked fruits to the flour mixture.
- Bring everything together to form a dough.
- Sprinkle the work top with some flour.
- Put the dough on the worktop and begin to knead it.
- If it is too sticky, add a tbsp of flour at a time.
- Knead the dough till its smooth and silky and only slightly sticky. This will take about 7-10 minutes.
- Can knead the dough in stand mixer using the dough hook.
- Lightly grease a big bowl with some oil or butter.
- Shape the dough into a round ball. Put it in the greased bowl and cover.
- Allow the dough to rise till its double in size. Mine took 1 hour.
PREPARATION OF THE FLOUR PASTE:
- While you wait for the dough to ferment, prepare the flour paste and the sugar syrup.
- To prepare the flour paste, mix the flour and sugar in a small bowl.
- Add 1 tbsp of water at a time till you get a creamy paste, which is not too thick or runny. You should be able to pipe it using an icing bag.
PREPARATION OF THE SUGAR GLAZE:
- Mix sugar and water in a saucepan.
- Place it over medium heat, and stir till the sugar melts.
- Lower the heat and allow the mixture to simmer for 8-10 minutes or till it thickens like a syrup.
SHAPING THE HOT CROSS BUNS:
- Gently deflate the risen dough.
- Sprinkle the worktop with some flour.
- Knead the dough gently. Divide it into 12 parts.
- Grease a baking tray that is about 9X11 inches in size. I used butter ofr greasing.
- Roll each part into a ball by circulating it on the worktop with your fingers till it becomes a round shape.
- Arrange the rolled balls in the greased tray.
- Cover the tray with a damp cloth and allow the dough to rise for 30-45 minutes or till they are double in size.
PREPARATION OF THE EGG WASH:
- Whisk the egg and milk together, gently.
BAKING THE HOT CROSS BUNS:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Brush the risen dough balls gently with the egg wash.
- Fit in a round plain icicing nozzle to the icing bag. Fill the icing bag with the flour paste.
- Pipe a cross on each bun.
- Bake the buns for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
- Allow the buns to cool a bit in the tray for about 3-5 minutes.
- Gently remove the baked buns and place them on a wire rack to cool down completely.
- Brush the cooled down Hot Cross Buns with the sugar glaze.
- Serve.
Notes
- Fermenting time for dough will vary depending on how hot your kitchen is .
- I've used a mixture of raisins, sultana and mixed peels. Feel free to use raisins on their own. Can also add dried cranberries.
- Instead of flour paste you can using icing to create the cross. Bake the buns and allow them to cool down. Take about 1 cup icing or confectioners sugar and mix it with 1 tbsp water or orange juice. Use that for piping the cross.
- Instead of sugar glaze you can drizzle glaze icing over the buns. Mix 1 cup icing or confectioners sugar with 3 tbsp water or orange juice. Drizzle over the baked and cooled down buns.