hot cross buns

hot cross buns

• 24 Apr 2017

Passover coincided with Easter this year so I wasn't able to taste these hot cross buns until after Easter was over. I don't like posting a recipe until it passes the taste test, so apologies for bringing this recipe to you after the event, but let's face it, hot cross buns are good at any time of the year.



I've been making hot cross buns for years using this Margaret Fulton recipe but this year I decided to tweak the recipe a little. I doubled the quantity of dried fruit in the recipe and swapped dried apricots for the mixed peel (which many people don't like) then soaked the fruit in earl grey tea.



I defrosted one of the hot cross buns on Saturday; toasted it before slathering the bun with butter and enjoyed it with a cup of tea. 




The hot cross bun was delicious and I think the chopped dried apricots added a nice zing.



Here's the recipe for you. Please note, I use a 250 ml cup and a 20 ml tablespoon. All eggs are 60 grams and my oven is a conventional oven not fan forced, so you may need to reduce your oven temperature by 20°C.

Hot Cross Buns adapted from a Margaret Fulton recipe - makes 8

Ingredients
¼ cup currants, sultanas or a mix of both
¼ cup chopped dried apricots
1 Earl Grey teabag
2 cups plain flour
½ tsp mixed spice
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
7g (1 sachet) dry yeast
30g butter, diced
50g caster sugar
125mls lukewarm milk or water 
1 egg, lightly beaten

Paste for cross
2 tbs self-raising flour
2 tbs plain flour
2 tbs cold water
1 tsp sugar

Glaze
¼ teaspoon powdered gelatine
2 tbs water
1 tbs sugar

Method
1-2 hours before preparing the dough combine the dried fruits, the early grey tea bag and half a cup of boiling water in a small bowl. Steep the fruit until plump then drain well, discarding the tea bag.

Sift the flour, mixed spice, cinnamon and salt into a bowl. Rub in the butter, then mix in the well drained fruit. Stir in the dry yeast with the sugar. Combine the milk or water with the beaten egg  and add to the flour. Mix to form a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic.

Shape into a ball, place in a clean, greased bowl and turn the ball over so that the top of the dough is greased. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently press out to 1 cm thick. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape each into a small ball. Place balls on a greased baking tray, at least 2.5 cm apart, or arrange in greased round cake tins. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size and soft to the touch. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

To make the paste for the cross, combine the flours, sugar and water and beat to a smooth paste. Put into a baking paper funnel or a small piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle. Pipe the prepared paste into cross. Bake the buns for about 20 minutes.




While the buns are baking make the glaze by sprinkling the gelatine over the water in a small saucepan. When softened, dissolve over a low heat. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Remove from the heat. Remove the buns from the oven and brush with the glaze while still hot. Stand the buns in a warm place, such as near the opened door of the turned off oven. This helps to set the glaze. Serve warm with lashings of butter.

I'll be back again next week so until then,

Bye for now,

Jillian