Homemade hot cross buns

Nothing smells better than real homemade hot cross buns straight from your oven They are a joy to bake AND eat and so much better than the ones in the shops and much cheaper.  Our homemade hot cross buns recipe is well worth baking.  Try making large batches and freezing them.

  • Prep Time

    45 Minutes

  • Cook Time

    25 Minutes

  • Makes

    12 Buns

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon caster sugar
  • 1 cup warm milk
  • 2 teaspoons dried yeast
  • 500g plain or strong (bread) flour
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 1 level teaspoon salt
  • 1 level tablespoon mixed spice
  • 1 heaped teaspoon cinnamon
  • 150g sultanas soaked for about 15 minutes in 1 cup strong hot Earl Grey tea
  • 1 egg (lightly beaten)
  • 50g butter melted

cross paste

  • 4 tablespoons plain flour
  • 1 tablespoon caster sugar
  • enough water to make a thick paste

glaze

  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 3 tablespoons caster sugar

You'll Need

  • Multix Cling
  • Multix Bake
  • Multix piping bags

Method

  1. Stir 1 teaspoon of sugar into the lukewarm milk, sprinkle the yeast and stir well. Cover with cling and allow to stand in warm (not hot) place until the mixture starts to foam. Sieve the flour, 50g of caster sugar and spices together into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with dough hook. Mix. Lift the hook and make a well in center. Pour in the beaten egg, melted butter and foaming milk and yeast mixture into the well and turn the mixer on low to slowly process until everything is well combined. Turn the speed to medium and process for about 8 minutes to knead the dough.
  2. While the dough is kneading in the machine, drain and squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the tea soaked sultanas. Add the fruit to the bowl and process for another couple of minutes until the fruit is evenly distributed through the dough. Remove from the bowl and transfer to a lightly floured board or bench. Knead by hand for about 1 minute, until dough is smooth, elastic and stretchy. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Leave in a warm place to prove (rise) for about 45 minutes until doubled in size. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a lightly floured board and use your knuckles to knock out some of the air. Roll into a long sausage shape and use a sharp knife to cut into 12 even pieces. Roll the slices of dough into even balls and transfer to a large baking tray lined with Multix Bake. Place each bun about 2 cm apart to allow room for rising. Cover loosely with Multix cling and move in a warm place to prove a second time.
  3. Preheat your oven to 200oC
  4. When the buns have roughly doubled in size they are ready to pipe with the crosses.
  5. Make the cross paste by combining the sugar and flour in a small bowl and adding enough water to make a smooth thick pipeable paste. Transfer to a Multix piping bag, snip the end off making a small hole and pipe crosses on top of each bun.
  6. Bake in the preheated oven at 200oC for about about 15- 20 minutes until they’re golden brown and sound slightly hollow when tapped.
  7. Make the glaze in a small saucepan by dissolving the caster sugar in the water then bringing it to a swift boil. Brush the sugar glaze generously over the buns while they’re still hot from the oven to make them sticky and shiny. Serve warm with butter.
Posted in Christmas & Festive Food