Hot Cross Buns (2016 version)

I’ve improved this recipe for Easter 2017 – click here

As featured in Tefal’s Easter 2016 customer newsletter

 

Makes 12 buns

Cooking difficulty: Medium

Total duration: 2h

I suggest you master baking bread rolls before attempting this recipe. Once you’re happy with a light and fluffy roll, you can start adding fruit successfully.

My physiotherapist advised me to make dough to maintain the movement from spondyaloarthritis that greatly reduces the function in my hands. This recipe takes several hours, but as with all bread recipes there is plenty of time to rest while the dough does the same!

Hot Cross Buns
Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients

275g luke warm water*
18g dried instant yeast
550g bread flour
5g salt
6g dried milk powder
65g sugar
2 – 3 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
45g butter, soft
12g apple cider vinegar
200g sultanas or mixed dried fruit

Cross mixture

60g chilled water*
70g flour

Glaze

40g water
40g sugar

CC Method

  1. Insert kneading blade
  2. Add water to CC bowl*
  3. Add remaining dough ingredients in order, except fruit
  4. Pastry P2 / maxi (3min 30sec)
  5. Remove CC lid and turn upside down onto a floured or oiled surface
  6. Remove locking nut and lift bowl off dough
  7. Remove the blade, being careful not to stretch dough
  8. Knead in fruit by hand
  9. Rest the dough in a warm humid environment for 20 mins*
  10. Quickly form into 12 equal sized balls, approximately 100g each*
  11. Place into a slightly oiled 20*30cm slice tin, leaving room around the edges*
  12. Prove the dough in a warm humid environment, until they have doubled in size (40-60mins)*
  13. Wash CC bowl and blade
  14. When the dough has almost doubled, make the cross mixture
  15. Insert kneading blade
  16. Add cross mixture ingredients
  17. Speed 6 / 15 sec / maxi steam, scrap down,
  18. Speed 8 / 10 sec / maxi steam
  19. Using a syringe, add thin crosses to buns
  20. Steam bake 180C 20-25 minutes*
  21. Wash CC bowl
  22. When the buns are almost golden, make the glaze
  23. Insert stirring blade
  24. Add glaze ingredients
  25. Dessert program / 3 min / stopper out
  26. Place buns onto a wire rack
  27. Immediately brush with glaze
  28. Eat within 24 hours or freeze immediately*

*Tips

  • Luke warm water needs to be 30-35C. In cold climates you can achieve this in CC first. Speed 3 / 35C / 2 mins. In hot climates you may need to cool the water. Too hot and the dough will be overly sticky (sticky itself is a good thing!).
  • 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.
  • 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!
  • Proving – If your oven has a 30C 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.
  • Chilled water – add an ice cube to tap water whilst the buns are proving
  • 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
  • Freezing immediately, once cooled, is important as there are no preservatives used. The buns defrost perfectly.

Pace yourself with these rest breaks

Dough
Prep time: 15 mins
Rest time: 20 mins

Buns
Prep time: 5 mins
Prove time: 40-60 mins

Cross mixture
Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 20-25 mins

Glaze
Prep time: 5 mins

#preservativefree

#eggfree

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