HOT CROSS BUNS

Homemade hot cross buns

The smell of freshly baked hot cross buns coming out of the oven on a cold day is one of the best smells, and a great way to get in the Easter spirit.

This recipe is very simple to make, and it doesn’t have that much hands-on time. It does how ever have a lot of resting and rising time which may make it feel like it’s taking forever to make but it’s worth it in the end once you get to eat one of the hot cross buns dripping with melted butter.

See below the method of making these hot cross buns by hand, with a stand mixer or in a bread machine.

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Making the dough by hand

Place warm milk in a large bowl. I warmed mine in the microwave for 30 seconds until it is about 34°c

Add in the sugar and yeast and stir. Let sit for 10 minutes for the yeast to start to activate.

Add the egg and soften butter into you yeast mix and stir until the egg is all combined.

Add flour, salt, cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg, sultanas and orange zest to the yeast mix and stir with a wooden spoon. When it gets to thick transfer dough onto your bench and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic, you may need to add up to another ¼ cup of flour. Add the flour to your dough a little at a time if it gets to stick when kneading.

Place dough in bowl and cover with a cloth and let rest for about 1½ to 2 hours or until it has doubled in size.

Once dough has risen place on a floured surface and divide dough into 16 even balls.

Line a baking tray with a silicon mat or baking paper and place buns close together on tray. (1cm gap in between each bun) once they rise and cook the bun should touch each other.

Cover bun and let rise for another 30minutes.

Cross mix

In a small bowl mix flour and water together until smooth. If you can’t get out all the flour lumps you may need to put the mix though a sieve.

Place the mix in a piping bag or bottle, as this make it easier to put the cross on the top of the buns.

Once the buns have risen for the 30 minutes pip on the crosses and place buns in a pre-heated 180.c (356°F) oven for 25-30 minutes

Sugar glaze

In a microwave safe bowl place equal amounts of sugar and water and heat on high in the microwave until mix comes to a boil.

I used ⅛ cup of sugar and ⅛ cup of water and heated on high in the microwave for 2 minutes. You can also do this in a small pot on the cooktop.

Once buns come out of the oven brush on sugar glaze straight away while the buns are still hot.

Then try to wait a few minutes for them to cool a bit before smothering them in butter

Using a stand mixer

This dough work just as great made with a stand mixer and it takes away some of the hard work.

Attach dough hook to your mixer.

Place all dough ingredient in your mixing bowl and mix for about 8 minutes. Don’t forget to activate the yeast first in the warm milk and sugar.

 Cover your bowl with a tea towel or cling wrap and leave to rise in a warm spot for 1 ½ – 2 hours or until it has doubled in size.

Once dough has risen place on a floured surface and divide dough into 16 even balls.

Line a baking tray with a silicon mat or baking paper and place buns close together on tray. (1cm gap in between each bun) once they rise and cook the bun should touch each other.

Cover bun and let rise for another 30minutes before cooking.

Bread machine

This dough also works great in the bread machine.

Place all your dough ingredient into your bread machine apart from the sultanas and set to dough setting.  If you are not using instant raise yeast you will need to activate the yeast first.

 Once the bread machine beeps add your sultanas, this will be about 30 minutes into your dough cycle (if your bread machine doesn’t have this setting set a 30minute time and add your sultanas then.

When the dough cycle has finished flour your work surface and remove dough from bread machine. Divide dough in to 16 even balls.

Line a baking tray with a silicon mat or baking paper and place buns close together. (1cm gap in between each bun) once they rise and cook the b should touch each other.

Cover bun and let rise for another 30minutes before cooking.

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This recipe had a lot of resting time so you will need to start early if you won’t to be enjoying these hot cross buns in the morning.  But saying that this recipe work fine if you rest the buns in the fridge over night. Once your dough has rested for 1½ – 2 hours and you have shaped your dough into ball cover well and place in the fridge over night then in the morning bring to room temperature it will take about an hour. Place buns in a pre-heated oven and bake.

Check out my Mini chocolate chip hot cross buns.