I really enjoy making a batch of Hot Cross Buns at Easter time. The process of preparing the dough, letting it rise, forming the buns, making the paste for the crosses and piping it on, and then finally baking them is really enjoyable. Oh, and the spicy aromas that fill my home as they bake are just divine. Of course, the real reward is breaking open a warm bun, adding some beautiful organic butter and eating! I only make these once a year but they are certainly worth the teeny bit of effort required.
You can view our video in which we show you how to make our Hot Cross Buns.
Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients
Dough
- 14 g dried yeast
- ⅓ cup (100 g) honey
- 1 cup warm milk
- 4 cups (600 g) bread flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 65 g butter melted
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 cup (200g) sultanas
- ⅓ cup (50g) currants
- 1 orange zest & juice (approximately 50 ml)
Flour Paste
- 50 g flour
- 2 tsp sugar
- 80 ml water
Glaze
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp boiling water
Instructions
Dough
- At least an hour before starting to mix the bun dough, combine the sultanas, currants, orange zest and juice and set aside. This step hydrates the dried fruit making them plump and succulent.
- When you're ready to mix the dough, combine the yeast, honey and milk in a bowl and whisk to dissolve the yeast. Set aside for 10 minutes until frothy.
- Combine the flour, salt and spices in a large bowl (if you have a stand mixer such as a KitchenAid, then use it to prepare the dough), and whisk to evenly distribute the ingredients.
- Add the yeast mixture, melted butter, egg and sultana/orange mixture and mix well to form a dough. Knead the dough on the bench for about 15-20 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic when pressed. (If using a stand mixer, use the standard beater to bring the dough together, then with to the dough hook and knead on a low speed for about 10-12 minutes).
- Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and place in a warm spot for 1-1/2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and knead briefly into a smooth ball. Use a cook's knife to divide the dough into 12-15 portions (80 g or 100 g, the choice is yours), then roll into balls. Place the dough balls onto the prepare baking tray leaving a small gap between each. Cover with a clean tea towel and place in a warm spot for 30 minutes or until they have doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C.
Flour Paste
- Prepare the flour paste by combining the flour and sugar in a small bowl. Add enough of the water to form a paste that you feel would pipe nicely.
- Place the paste in a small piping bag with a narrow tip, or place into a small ziplock bag and snip off the corner (just a tiny bit of the corner of the bag at first, trial it, and if need be cut a tiny bit more off. You want to be able to pipe a nice strip of paste on the buns).
- Once the buns have risen, pipe crosses over the top of each bun. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until brown and springy to touch.
Glaze
- While the buns are cooking, prepare the glaze by combining the honey, cinnamon and boiling water in a small bowl and stirring to dissolve the honey.
- Once the buns are cooked, remove them from the oven and place them on a cooling rack. Brush the warm buns with the glaze.
Notes
The buns could be made to the pre-baking stage and held in the fridge overnight. The next morning remove from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature before baking. This way you can have freshly baked buns on Easter morning without having to get out of bed super early! I love the idea of that.
Home-made Hot Cross Buns are best eaten on the day they are made. However, they can be freshened up by wrapping in foil and gently warming in a preheated 180C oven for 12 mins. The buns also freeze well, simply place them in a freezer bag and pop them in the freezer. Defrost and reheat as above.
