Hot Cross Buns
Good Friday wouldn't be Good Friday without Hot Cross Buns - at least, not where I come from.
Whether you like the fruity traditionals or a new, decadent chocolate variation, these fresh, fluffy buns will kick off your Easter weekend in style.
The recipes and lots and lots of step-by-step pictures can be found on my blog, Cloudberry Dreams.
Otherwise, the recipes alone are
HOT CROSS BUNS
4 cups strong bread flour (or plain flour, if you can’t find this)
2 x 7g sachets dried yeast
1/4 cup caster sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups mixed dried fruit of your choice (I went with sultanas, currants, raisins and citrus peel)
Zest and juice of 1 orange
40g butter
300ml milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Extra flour, if necessary
FLOUR PASTE
½ cup flour
5 tablespoons water
GLAZE
2 tablespoons apricot jam
MAKES 12 BUNS
Combine the flour, yeast, sugar, spices, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine fruit with the zest and juice of the orange. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and add the milk, heating for about a minute, until lukewarm. Add the warm milk mixture, fruit mixture and eggs to the flour. Using a low speed and paddle attachment on your stand mixer (or a flat bladed knife if you’re working by hand) mix until the dough starts to come together. Switch to a dough hook attachment and set on low speed for 5 - 7 minutes, or use clean hands to finish mixing to form a soft dough and then knead on a floured board for ten minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until dough doubles in size.
Line a large, deep roasting dish with foil or baking paper and set aside. Punch the dough down using your fists to its original size, then knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth.
Cut the dough in half, then roll each half into a long, smooth log and cut the logs into six even sized pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and roll round in your hands to smooth them. Place the balls into the lined dish, about 1cm apart. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 30 minutes, or until buns double in size. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius (that’s 375 degrees Fahrenheit or Gas Mark 5).
Now make the flour paste for the crosses. Mix the flour and water together in a small bowl until smooth, adding a bit of extra water if paste is too thick. Place the mixture into a piping bag and pipe the flour paste over tops of buns to form crosses. Bake the buns for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they are cooked through and golden.
Finally, make the glaze. Place 2 tablespoons of apricot jam in a bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute, until melted. Brush the melted jam over the hot cross buns as soon as they’re out of the oven. Serve the buns warm or at room temperature with lashings of butter, and enjoy!
TRIPLE CHOCOLATE HOT CROSS BUNS
4 cups strong bread flour (or plain flour, if you can’t find this)
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 x 7g sachets dried yeast
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I used white and dark varieties)
150g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
40g butter
300ml milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Extra flour, if necessary
FLOUR PASTE
½ cup flour
5 tablespoons water
GLAZE
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons caster sugar
MAKES 12 BUNS
Combine the flour, yeast, sugar, cinnamon, salt and chocolate chips in a large bowl.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and add the milk, heating for about a minute, until lukewarm. Add the warm milk mixture, fruit mixture and eggs to the flour. Using a low speed and paddle attachment on your stand mixer (or a flat bladed knife if you’re working by hand) mix until the dough starts to come together.
Switch to a dough hook attachment and set on low speed for 5 - 7 minutes, or use clean hands to finish mixing to form a soft dough and then knead on a floured board for ten minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add extra flour, a tablespoon at a time, if the dough is too runny/too sticky. In the last minute or so of kneading, add the chopped chocolate pieces to the dough.
Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until dough doubles in size.
Line a large, deep roasting dish with foil or baking paper and set aside. Punch the dough down using your fists to its original size, then knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth.
Cut the dough in half, then roll each half into a long, smooth log and cut the logs into six even sized pieces.
Shape each piece into a ball and roll round in your hands to smooth them. Place the balls into the lined dish, about 1cm apart.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 30 minutes, or until buns double in size. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius (that’s 375 degrees Fahrenheit or Gas Mark 5).
Now make the flour paste for the crosses. Mix the flour and water together in a small bowl until smooth, adding a bit of extra water if paste is too thick. Place the mixture into a piping bag and pipe the flour paste over tops of buns to form crosses.
Bake the buns for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they are cooked through.
Finally, make the glaze. Place the water and sugar into a small saucepan and heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and allow to boil for five minutes. Brush the warm glaze over the hot cross buns once they’re out of the oven.
Serve the buns warm or at room temperature - preferably with lashings of butter, either way - and enjoy!
x-posted to bakebakebake & food_porn
Whether you like the fruity traditionals or a new, decadent chocolate variation, these fresh, fluffy buns will kick off your Easter weekend in style.
The recipes and lots and lots of step-by-step pictures can be found on my blog, Cloudberry Dreams.
Otherwise, the recipes alone are
HOT CROSS BUNS
4 cups strong bread flour (or plain flour, if you can’t find this)
2 x 7g sachets dried yeast
1/4 cup caster sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups mixed dried fruit of your choice (I went with sultanas, currants, raisins and citrus peel)
Zest and juice of 1 orange
40g butter
300ml milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Extra flour, if necessary
FLOUR PASTE
½ cup flour
5 tablespoons water
GLAZE
2 tablespoons apricot jam
MAKES 12 BUNS
Combine the flour, yeast, sugar, spices, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine fruit with the zest and juice of the orange. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and add the milk, heating for about a minute, until lukewarm. Add the warm milk mixture, fruit mixture and eggs to the flour. Using a low speed and paddle attachment on your stand mixer (or a flat bladed knife if you’re working by hand) mix until the dough starts to come together. Switch to a dough hook attachment and set on low speed for 5 - 7 minutes, or use clean hands to finish mixing to form a soft dough and then knead on a floured board for ten minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until dough doubles in size.
Line a large, deep roasting dish with foil or baking paper and set aside. Punch the dough down using your fists to its original size, then knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth.
Cut the dough in half, then roll each half into a long, smooth log and cut the logs into six even sized pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and roll round in your hands to smooth them. Place the balls into the lined dish, about 1cm apart. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 30 minutes, or until buns double in size. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius (that’s 375 degrees Fahrenheit or Gas Mark 5).
Now make the flour paste for the crosses. Mix the flour and water together in a small bowl until smooth, adding a bit of extra water if paste is too thick. Place the mixture into a piping bag and pipe the flour paste over tops of buns to form crosses. Bake the buns for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they are cooked through and golden.
Finally, make the glaze. Place 2 tablespoons of apricot jam in a bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute, until melted. Brush the melted jam over the hot cross buns as soon as they’re out of the oven. Serve the buns warm or at room temperature with lashings of butter, and enjoy!
TRIPLE CHOCOLATE HOT CROSS BUNS
4 cups strong bread flour (or plain flour, if you can’t find this)
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 x 7g sachets dried yeast
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I used white and dark varieties)
150g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
40g butter
300ml milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Extra flour, if necessary
FLOUR PASTE
½ cup flour
5 tablespoons water
GLAZE
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons caster sugar
MAKES 12 BUNS
Combine the flour, yeast, sugar, cinnamon, salt and chocolate chips in a large bowl.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and add the milk, heating for about a minute, until lukewarm. Add the warm milk mixture, fruit mixture and eggs to the flour. Using a low speed and paddle attachment on your stand mixer (or a flat bladed knife if you’re working by hand) mix until the dough starts to come together.
Switch to a dough hook attachment and set on low speed for 5 - 7 minutes, or use clean hands to finish mixing to form a soft dough and then knead on a floured board for ten minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add extra flour, a tablespoon at a time, if the dough is too runny/too sticky. In the last minute or so of kneading, add the chopped chocolate pieces to the dough.
Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until dough doubles in size.
Line a large, deep roasting dish with foil or baking paper and set aside. Punch the dough down using your fists to its original size, then knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth.
Cut the dough in half, then roll each half into a long, smooth log and cut the logs into six even sized pieces.
Shape each piece into a ball and roll round in your hands to smooth them. Place the balls into the lined dish, about 1cm apart.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 30 minutes, or until buns double in size. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius (that’s 375 degrees Fahrenheit or Gas Mark 5).
Now make the flour paste for the crosses. Mix the flour and water together in a small bowl until smooth, adding a bit of extra water if paste is too thick. Place the mixture into a piping bag and pipe the flour paste over tops of buns to form crosses.
Bake the buns for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they are cooked through.
Finally, make the glaze. Place the water and sugar into a small saucepan and heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and allow to boil for five minutes. Brush the warm glaze over the hot cross buns once they’re out of the oven.
Serve the buns warm or at room temperature - preferably with lashings of butter, either way - and enjoy!
x-posted to bakebakebake & food_porn