It’s that time of the year where everyone goes crazy for hot cross buns. I don’t like them but I got a request from my boyfriend so I made some. I have never made hot cross buns and had heard that they weren’t easy to make but I like to do things that challenge me.
I never realised how long they actually took to make, these took me all in all about 3.5 hours to do mainly due to having to let the dough rise. I had a whole day making these which I think you need so that you can make sure they are given the proper time to rise.
I will say that even though they took me a while to make, I enjoyed making them as I don’t tend to make things that take so long or things that aren’t cakes really. My boyfriend and his family really enjoyed these
Hot Cross Buns
Servings 12 Buns
Ingredients
Buns
- 300 ml Milk Heated Up
- 50 g Unsalted Butter Melted
- 500 g Strong Bread Flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 75 g Caster sugar
- 7 g Fast-Action Yeast
- 1 Egg
- 75 g Sultanas
- 50 g Glaced Cherries Washed and Dried
- 1 Apple Peeled, Cored and Finely Chopped
Cross
- 75 g Plain Flour plus extra for dusting
- 5 tbsp Water may need more
Instructions
- Heat up the milk in the microwave until it is hot then. Melt your butter then add this to the milk and stir until fully incorporated.
- Put the strong bread flour, salt, caster sugar and yeast into a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Pour in the warm milk and butter mixture, then add the beaten egg.
- Using a wooden spoon, mix well, then bring everything together with your hands until you have a sticky dough.
- Tip on to a lightly floured surface and knead by holding the dough with one hand and stretching it with the heal of the other hand, then folding it back on itself.
- Repeat for 5 mins until smooth and elastic. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. .
- Cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hr or until doubled in size and a finger pressed into it leaves a dent.
- With the dough still in the bowl, tip in the sultanas, glaced cherries and the chopped apple. Knead into the dough, making sure everything is well distributed.
- Leave to rise for 1 hr more, or until doubled in size, again covered by some well-oiled cling film to stop the dough getting a crust.
- Divide the dough into 12 even pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball on a lightly floured work surface.
- Arrange the buns on one or two baking trays lined with parchment, leaving enough space for the dough to expand.
- Cover (but don’t wrap) with more oiled cling film, or a clean tea towel, then set aside to prove for 1 hr more.
- Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Mix 75g plain flour with about 5 tbsp water to make the paste for the cross.*
- Spoon into a piping bag with a small nozzle. Pipe a line along each row of buns, then repeat in the other direction to create crosses.
- Bake for 20 mins on the middle shelf of the oven, until golden brown.
Notes
*Add the water 1 tbsp at a time, so you add just enough for a thick paste.
