Hot Cross Buns | Bácáil with Love (Bake with Love)
I do love a hot cross bun. I’m certainly not against the supermarkets variety but I do love making my own at Easter time. Nothing tastes as good as freshly baked goods. I’ve tried lots of recipes and this one adapted from a few recipes I have gathered over the years. There are a lot of stages to this recipe, but believe me it is so worth it the end! The smell of freshly baked hot cross bums is simply divine.
Hot cross buns
Makes 16
- 500g strong white flour
- 10g fast action yeast
- 10g salt
- 75g sugar
- 120ml warm milk
- 120ml cool water
- 2 medium eggs, beaten
- 40g soft unsalted butter
- Finely grated zest of two oranges
- 1 teaspoon of mixed spice
- 150g sultans
- 150g currants
For the Crosses
- 25g Flour
- 50ml water
For the glaze
- Warmed orange marmalade or warmed golden syrup.
Method
- Place the flour, salt, sugar, mixed spice and yeast to the bowl, making sure the salt and yeast are at separate sides of the bowl. Add the warm milk, soft butter, eggs and half the water. Mix the ingredients together until you have a soft dough. If it is too dry, add the remaining water slowly until you have a soft, but not soggy, dough. Knead for 5 mins in a mixer or 10 minutes by hand or until the dough is very smooth and bouncy.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave to prove in a warmish place for 1-2 hours or until the dough is doubled in size.
- Once the dough is ready, turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Lightly flatten it out a little and tip the orange zest, dried fruit on top. Gently work them into the dough until they are all evenly incorporated.
- Place this fruity dough back into the bowl and leave for one hour to prove until risen in size again.
- Divide the dough into twelve equal portions. I weighed mine to 75g each. Roll each piece of dough into balls and place fairly close together on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cover and leave to prove for one hour until well risen and at least doubled in size.
- For the crosses, mix 25g plain flour and 30-50ml water together until you have a smooth paste that isn’t too runny. Using a piping bag fitted with a small nozzle, pipe crosses on the buns. It’s easier to pipe the crosses onto the buns in one long line so you get a smooth result.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the buns from the oven, then brush with the orange marmalade glaze while hot. Cool on wire racks.
If dried sultans and currants are not to your taste you can swap them for cranberries and white chocolate or with any other dried fruit of your choice.
Happy baking,
Bácáil with Love (Bake with Love)
Hot Cross Buns | Bácáil with Love (Bake with Love)
Bácáil with Love 