Handmade hot cross buns | Jag Kitchens

Hot Cross Buns

With a restful and relaxing long weekend ahead of us this Easter, try your hand at homemade hot cross buns in the kitchen!

The entire process will take about one and a half hours, which includes the process of proving the dough for the buns themselves. The end result? Beautiful, fresh hot cross buns straight out of your own kitchen, to serve to family and friends this Easter!

Ingredients

Dough:

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons active yeast
  • 1 tsp standard flour (first measure)
  • 1 tsp white sugar (first measure)
  • 1 1/4 cup milk, heated and cooled to just above room temperature

 

  • 4 cups standard flour (second measure)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp mixed spice
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon
  • 60g butter, softened in chunks
  • 1/4 cup white sugar, extra (second measure)
  • 1 cup sultanas (you can choose to add a mixture of sultanas, currants, peel, etc if preferred)
  • 1 egg, beaten

Crosses:

  • 1 cup Standard Grade Flour
  • cold water

Glaze:

  • 1 tablespoon Caster Sugar
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 teaspoon gelatine (optional)

Method – Dough

Add the first measure of standard flour and while sugar to a small bowl, and crumble in the active yeast. Pour in the heated (and cooled) milk, cover and leave in a warm place such as a hot water cupboard for about 10 minutes.

In a separate large bowl, sift the second measure of flour, the salt, mixed spice and cinnamon. Take the softened butter chunks and rub the butter into the sifted ingredients. Add the second measure of sugar, as well as the sultanas.

Once the yeast mix has sat in a warm place for 10 minutes, add the beaten egg to the mixture and combine. Then pour the yeast and egg mix into the flour mix in the larger bowl. Mix under a soft dough if formed, and then knead the dough until it is light and smooth. It shouldn’t be sticky once it has been kneaded sufficiently.

handmade hot crossed bunsIn a lightly greased bowl, place the dough and cover with cling wrap with a clean tea towel over top. Allow to stand in a warm place for approximately 40 minutes. The dough should double in size during this time, so ensure that the bowl you have placed it in leaves some room for it to rise.

Prepare a greased baking tray. Once the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Using your fists, punch down on the dough and knead it thoroughly until smooth and stretchy. Form the dough into an evenly levelled rectangle and divide into 16 even sized portions. Then knead each of the portions into a round, bun shape. Place onto your baking tray, about 1cm apart. Cover again with a tea towel, and stand in a warm place until well risen – this will take about 10 to 15 minutes.

During this time, you can prep your oven by setting it to 220°C on fan bake.

Method – Crosses

In a small bowl, mix small amounts of cold water into the flour until a soft paste consistency is formed. Pour mixture into a piping bag or utensil (alternatively you can make one by pouring mix into a plastic bag, and snipping one corner). With a steady hand, pipe the lines onto the buns to create the cross effect.

Once done, place the buns in the oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes until golden brown.

Method – Glaze

In a saucepan, heat the caster sugar, water and gelatine (if using). Allow to simmer for 1 minute, and while the buns are still hot out of the oven, gently brush the glaze over the top of each.

One of the best parts of homemade hot cross buns is that you can play around with customising the spices and additions to suit your family’s tastes. You can add a few different spices, or maybe substitute the sultanas out for chocolate chips for any chocolate lovers out there!

Have a safe and relaxing Easter break, and we look forward to seeing you in the Jag Kitchens Showroom soon!