Hot Cross Buns
By Chef Silvia Leo
For 8 Buns
30 Mins + 2 Hrs Proving Time
Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Sulphites
Utensils & Essentials
Bowls, piping bag, KitchenAid Stand Mixer with dough hook (optional)
Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Sulphites
Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Sulphites
Ingredients:
For the buns:
- 250g strong flour
- 5g instant dry yeat
- 60g butter
- 30g caster sugar
- 120ml whole milk
- 1 egg
- 40g raisins
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2g salt (not provided)
For the wash:
- apricot jam
For the cross:
- 50g plain flour
- 60ml water (not provided)
How to make
Hot Cross Buns
Bring the milk to a gentle simmer, and when warm, remove from the stove. Add the butter into the warm milk. The butter will melt and the milk will cool down. Set aside.
Season the yoghurt with black pepper, salt and cumin powder to taste, mix well, then leave to one side.
Into a KitchenAid bowl place the strong flour, then add the salt, sugar and yeast at the opposite sides of the bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the wet ingredients: milk/butter mixture and 1 egg. Mix well with a wooden spoon or your fingers, until everything is combined.
If using a KItchenAid Stand MIxer, knead with the hook attachment for 8-10 minutes. If using your hands, knead the dough for 12-14 minutes, until well kneaded. Perform a window test to verify: grab a small piece of dough and flatten it between your fingers. Very gently pull on opposite ends to stretch out the middle. As you pull, the dough in the center will become thinner and thinner until you can see light through it, without tearing.
Add the cinnamon and raisins and knead until fully incorporated.Shape the dough into a ball, cover with a cloth and let it prove for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
After proving, punch the dough to knock it back and divide it into 45-50g portions. Shape the portions into balls, and place them on a tray, covered with parchment paper, leaving a couple of cm between each one. Cover and prove for about an hour.
Season the yoghurt with black pepper, salt and cumin powder to taste, mix well, then leave to one side.
When the proving time is almost finished, prepare the crossing mixture: mix the plain flour and with 60ml water.
Season the yoghurt with black pepper, salt and cumin powder to taste, mix well, then leave to one side.
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.
Season the yoghurt with black pepper, salt and cumin powder to taste, mix well, then leave to one side.
Place the crossing mixture into a small piping bag, cut a little hole at the end, and pipe on your buns in a cross shape. Use the picture as a reference if needed.
Season the yoghurt with black pepper, salt and cumin powder to taste, mix well, then leave to one side.
Bake the buns in the pre heated oven for about 8-10 minutes.
Season the yoghurt with black pepper, salt and cumin powder to taste, mix well, then leave to one side.
Remove from the oven and brush with the apricot jam while the buns are still hot (if the jam is too thick, you can make it more runny by adding a little water to it).
Season the yoghurt with black pepper, salt and cumin powder to taste, mix well, then leave to one side.
Let them cool down and serve. They will be at their best within 24 hours of cooking, but they will keep for 3 days if kept in an air tight container. Serve toasted with butter.
Season the yoghurt with black pepper, salt and cumin powder to taste, mix well, then leave to one side.
