Hot Cross Buns
Warm and scrumptious hot cross buns, with raisins and orange zest. Now that is delicious!
Ingredients
- 3 teaspoons instant or rapid rise yeast 1 packet
- 1/2 cup 110g caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 1 1/2 cups 375ml milk, warm, full fat or low fat
- 4 1/4 cups 640g bread flour (or plain / all purpose) see note
- 2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 2 tsp All Spice OR Mixed Spice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups 210g sultanas or raisins
- 1 - 2 oranges zest only - I used dehydrated orange slices that I ground finely into a powder.
- 50 g / 3.5 tbsp unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1 egg at room temperature
EXTRA FLOUR FOR DOUGH:
- 1/4 cup 35g Extra bread flour
CROSSES:
- 1/2 cup 75g flour (any white flour)
- 5 tbsp water
GLAZE:
- 1 tbsp apricot jam see note
- 2 tsp water
Instructions
- Place flour, yeast, sugar, all spice, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Briefly mix with stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
- Add butter, milk, egg, sultanas and zest.
- Standmixer: Mix until a smooth elastic dough forms - 5 minutes on Speed 2 of standmixer. After 1 minute, add extra flour if required, just enough so dough comes away from side of bowl when mixing and doesn't stick terribly to your fingers. (Note 5).
- Hand kneading: Alternatively, dust a work surface with flour and knead by hand for 10 minutes.
- Dough is kneaded enough when it's smooth and does not break when stretched.
RISE #1
- Leave the dough in the bowl, cover with cling wrap, and place in a warm place to rise until doubled in size. This will take anywhere between 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours depending on how warm it is.
FORMING BALLS:
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Dust work surface with flour, place dough on work surface, shape into a log - this will deflate the air. Cut into 12 equal pieces.
- Take one piece and press down with palm, then use your fingers to gather into a ball, then roll the dough briefly to form a ball. This stretches the dough on one side and that's how I get a nice smooth surface.
- Place the ball with the smooth side up on the tray. Repeat with remaining dough.
RISE #2
- Spray a piece of cling wrap lightly with oil (any), then loosely place over the tray.
- Return tray to warm place and leaver 30 - 45 minutes, until the dough has risen by about 75% (less than double in size).
- Partway through Rise #2, preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types).
CROSSES:
- Mix flour and water until a thick (yet spreadable) paste forms.
- Spoon into a round 3 mm piping bag or small ziplock bag then snip corner.
- Remove the cling wrap and pipe crosses onto the buns. Go slow so it hugs the curves.
BAKING GLAZE:
- Bake for 22 minutes, or until the surface is a deep golden brown.
- Meanwhile, place jam and water in a bowl, microwave for 15 seconds. Stir to combine.
- Remove buns from oven. Cool on a cooling rack.
- Brush with jam mixture while still warm. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- Breads are fluffier and more tender if made with bread flour rather than normal flour. However, this recipe works great with normal white flour too.
- Dough rises best in a warm place. I use my oven. Preheat oven to lowest temperature for 1-2 minutes to get it nice and toasty, then turn it off. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or clean towel, then put it inside the oven and let rise until doubled (about 45-60 minutes). With this method, the dough will rise in about an hour.
- Jam - sub with any clear(ish) colored jam OR use honey.
- Do Rise #1 then follow steps to form the balls per the recipe and place on a parchment-lined tray.
- Put the tray in the fridge overnight.
- The next day, remove from the fridge and put it in a very warm place. Once the fridge chill is gone and the dough is back at room temperature, it will then start Rise #2 as per the recipe. It takes 2.5 - 3.5 hrs to finish Rise #2 after taking it out of the fridge.
- Then bake per recipe!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!