Hot Cross Buns-Easter Special
Hot Cross Buns-Easter Special
Hot Cross Buns are traditionally served and eaten on Good Friday. These are fruity and sweetly spiced buns which are served warm with butter.The best part of these Buns are the Crosses. As a kid I used to remove all the Crosses from the Buns and eat them. My favourite memories are the Buns from Misquita and Crispo Bakery which were sold from Thursday night and used to end by Good Friday morning. People used to gather in ques to buy them. Our neighbours used to anxiously wait for these buns as my Dad used to buy heaps and distribute it amongst friends and families.Do try this recipe and enjoy these soft and fluffy buns this Easter!
Ingredients
Ingredients for Hot Cross Buns
- 4 cups Flour (All purpose) Maida
- 40 gms Butter
- 1⅓ (330ml) cup Milk
- 2 tsp Dried Yeast
- 1/2 cup Caster Sugar You can use ground sugar as well
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Orange Zest Optional
- 2 tsp Mixed Spice Also known as All spice powder
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon Powder
- 1½ cups Mixed Dried Fruit Combination of Sultanas, Raisins, Orange Peel, Dried Apricots etc.
- 1 Egg Lightly beaten
- 3 tbsp Honey For Glaze
Ingredients for the Cross
- 1/2 cup Flour
- Water As required to make a thick paste
Instructions
Instructions for Preparing the Hot Cross Buns
- Add the Milk and Butter in a pan and let it cook on slow flame until the Butter has completely dissolved
- Now keep the Milk mixture aside to cool slightly
- Add the yeast and whisk until well dissolved
- In a separate bowl add the Flour, Sugar, Mixed Spice, Salt, Orange Zest (optional) Cinnamon Powder and the Mixed dried fruits and mix well
- Now add the beaten Egg and the Milk mixture and mix well until well combined
- Your dough will be sticky but don't worry it needs to have the sticky texture
- Now lightly spread some flour on a clean surface and knead the sticky dough for about 5-10 minutes until smooth. You may keep adding a bit more flour to get the smooth texture
- Now place the dough back in the bowl and cover it well and keep it in a dry warm place
- Let the dough rest for about an hour
- Preheat the over to 200°C
- Now take a baking tray and cover with parchment/baking paper
- Now punch the dough slightly and knead it again on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes. Kneading is important to get fluffy and soft buns
- Now divide the dough into equal portions and roll each portion into a ball
- Now line the portion side by side on the baking tray or you can place them separately
- Loosely cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, dry place for 30 minutes to rise
Instructions for making the Cross on the Buns
- Add water to the flour to form a smooth thick paste. The paste should not be runny
- Now put the paste in a plastic/piping bag
- Cut off a corner and pipe over the buns to make crosses
- Now bake the buns for 10 minutes on 200°C
- Then reduce the heat to 180°C and bake for a further 20 minutes or until golden brown
- Now transfer to a wire rack or another tray and let it cool down to 10 minutes
- Now in a separate bowl pour honey and add about 1-2 tbsp of warm water and make a mixture for the glaze
- Now brush the glaze mixture on the Hot Cross Buns. You can brush 2-3 times for more glaze
- Hot Cross Buns are ready to be served warm
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