Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns

Prep Time: 15 Mins

Cook Time: 30 Mins

Passive Time: 75 Mins

Servings: 12 Buns

Ingredients:

Dough

• 280 g water
• 7 g dried instant yeast
• 50 g caster sugar
• 65 g mild olive oil
• 550 g bread flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 16 g apple cider vinegar
• 150 g sultanas or mixed fruit

Cross mixture

• 80 g water
• 70 g plain flour
• 1 tsp mild olive oil

Glaze

• 30 g water
• 30g g caster sugar

Instructions:

1. Insert kneading blade
2. Add water and yeast to bowl
3. Speed 4 / 35°C / 2 min / stopper max
4. Add remaining dough ingredients in order, except fruit
5. Pastry P1 / 2 min 30 sec / stopper max
6. Remove lid and turn upside down onto a floured or oiled surface
7. Remove locking nut and lift bowl off dough
8. Remove the blade, being careful not to stretch dough
9. Knead in fruit by hand
10. Rest the dough in a warm humid environment for 20 min¹
11. Quickly form into 12 equal sized balls, approximately 95g each²
12. Place into a slightly oiled 20 by 30cm slice tin, leaving room around the edges³
13. Prove the dough in a warm humid environment, until they have doubled in size (40-60min)⁴
14. Wash bowl and blade

Cross mixture

1. When the dough has almost doubled, make the cross mixture
2. Insert kneading blade
3. Add cross mixture ingredients
4. Speed 6 / 15 sec / stopper max
5. Scrape down bowl
6. Speed 6 / 15 sec / stopper max
7. Using a piping bag or syringe, add thin crosses to each bun
8. Steam bake 180°C / 20-25 min⁵
9. Wash bowl

Glaze

1. When the buns are almost golden, make the glaze
2. Insert mixing blade
3. Add glaze ingredients
4. Speed 4 / 90°C / 3 min / stopper out
5. Remove buns from oven and place on a cooling rack
6. Immediately brush with glaze
7. Eat within 24 hours or freeze immediately⁶

Recipe Notes:

Recipe Notes

1.& 4. Proving - If your oven has a 30°C setting, I recommend you add a bowl of water to the bottom and allow the dough to rise in the oven. If not, get creative. Use the laundry when the tumble dryer is on, the dishwasher when it's just finished its cycle, the dashboard of your car with a wet tea over the dough or the microwave after you've heated a mug of water.

2. On a dry day or if you are slower at shaping buns, cover the dough with a damp clean tea towel whilst you shape it.

3. You can bake the buns on a flat baking tray, however I find tins with small sides help the rolls rise in a uniform manner, making them easier to add crosses, pull apart and of course, they look nicer too!

5. If you do not have a steam oven, you can create one by adding a (oven safe) bowl of water to the bottom of your oven

6. Freezing immediately, once cooled, is important as there are no preservatives used. The buns defrost perfectly.