Hot Cross Buns

Category:
YUMMIES
FUN STUFF
IN BETWEENS

Total time:
150 mins

Serves:
Makes 12 Buns

This is my favourite go to hot cross bun recipe. It can easily be adapted to make chocolate or traditional versions. You can find how to video see below in tips and tricks for the link.

Ingredients

7g Dried Yeast (or 21g fresh yeast)

375mls Milk (about 32oC)

100g Caster Sugar

630g Plain Flour

2 tsp Mixed Spice

2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

50g Butter Melted (unsalted if available)

1 Egg


200g Dried Fruit (you can use any combination of dried fruit. I like to use Californian cherries and citrus peel or zest also works)

130g Chopped Dark Chocolate (if using instead of fruit)

60g Cocoa Powder (for choc version only)

80 mls Water (for cross dough)

75g Plain Flour (for cross dough)

75g Apricot Jam (for glaze)



Tips & Tricks

You can use fresh or dried yeast for this recipe.  I use 3 x weight of fresh yeast to dry so for this recipe 21g fresh yeast.  I mix it with some of the warm milk and a tablespoon of the flour and tsp sugar and allow to activate in a warm place, it will rise and become bubbly.  Then just add to the mix along with milk as per recipe.

 I've created a step by step video of the recipe here 

Method

Prep: 
 mins »
Cook: 
 mins

1. Place yeast, 1 tsp of sugar and milk in a bowl, mix and set aside for 5 mins

2. In large bowl or stand mix bowl add flour, cocoa powder (if using for chocolate version), remaining sugar, mixed spice and cinnamon and give a quick stir to combine

3. To the flour mix add egg, butter, chocolate or fruit and the activated yeast mix

4. If using stand mixer use dough hook and mix until dough comes together then allow to mix for 6 mins on slow setting.
By hand mix all ingredients together with wooden spoon until dough comes together then tip onto lightly floured surface and knead for 10 mins until nice and elastic

5. Place the dough in lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean, damp cloth and allow to prove until doubled in size in a warm draft free spot. Depending on how warm it is this can take 1-2 hours

6. Lightly grease or line with baking paper a square, round or rectangular baking tin, the shape doesn't really matter.

7. Divide the dough into 12 pieces (i like to weigh each one but no need to!). Roll each piece into a ball and place into baking tray. The dough will double in size again so allow a little space between each one

8. Cover with damp cloth again and set aside in warm spot to prove for another 30 mins to an hour until risen

9. Preheat oven to 190oC

10. To make the cross dough combine the water and flour in a bowl and mix well.
Place in a piping bag with thin nozzle or alternatively a small plastic bag

11. Once the buns have risen pipe the cross dough onto the buns (if using plastic bag snip corner to create piping bag)

12. Place buns into the oven and cook for approx 25 mins. This time depends on the oven and whether you use fan bake like I do. Buns are ready when they are golden and springy to touch

13. Whilst the hot cross buns are baking prepare the glaze by heating the apricot jam, add a touch of water if too thick and sieve if it has any pieces in it.

14. When hot cross buns are ready remove from the oven and brush with glaze.
If you can allow to cool for a few mins before serving with butter of course!

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