Is it really Easter if you haven't had any hot cross buns? I have to say, no. They're exceptionally simple to make at home, and in my opinion, taste so much better than store bought. Beyond that, making them at home means they're entirely customisable. You can easily change the ratio of sultana to dried peel, and if you're not a fan of those at all, you can omit them or replace with your preferred bits. The below recipe makes around 9 hot cross buns.
Ingredients
180ml milk (I used oat)
1tsp white sugar sugar
10gr dried yeast
100gr demerara sugar
1/2tsp vanilla paste (or 1 tsp vanilla essence)
2 large eggs
75gr butter, room temp
1 1/2tsp cinnamon
1/2tsp nutmeg
1/2tsp allspice
Zest of 1 orange
450gr plain flour
70gr sultanas
70gr dried peel
For cross
70gr flour
10tbsp water
For glaze
3tbsp honey
5tbsp orange juice
Method
1. Warm up the milk until just about lukewarm. Add in the white sugar and yeast and allow to sit for around 10 minutes, until the top starts to foam up and bubble.
2. In a large bowl add the flour, vanilla, sugar, and spices. Pour in the yeast mixture and mix, either by hand, using a hand held mixer, or a stand mixer. Add in the eggs and butter and mix until the dough starts pulling from the edges of the bowl.
3. Add in the orange zest, sultanas, and dried peel, kneading until evenly incorporated. Knead for a further 5-10 minutes by hand for gluten formation, then place back into an oiled bowl to rise for around 3 hours, or until doubled in size. Alternatively, allow to rise in the fridge overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celsius. Once the dough has doubled in size, split into 9 balls and place onto a lined baking sheet. Allow to rise a second time until plump.
5. In a small bowl, mix in the ingredients for the cross emblem on top. This should be pipeable. If not, add in another tablespoon of water. Place in a piping bag and pipe into a cross on top of all 9 buns. Bake in a preheated oven for around 30-45 minutes, or until the buns are nice and golden with the cross contrasting stark white in comparison.
6. Warm up the honey for no more than 15 seconds in the microwave. Mix in the orange juice and set aside until the buns are done baking. Once out of the oven, brush the glaze on top liberally - this will leave them looking nice and shiny.
7. Serve warm with your favourite toppings.
Recreating this recipe? Tag me on instagram @juliawgr!
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