As the scent of spring fills the air, and Easter approaches, my thoughts turn to those quintessential seasonal treats: hot cross buns. While it’s tempting to grab a pack from the supermarket, there’s a world of difference between shop-bought and homemade. So, why should you consider baking your own?
Firstly, the sheer freshness of a home-baked hot cross bun is incomparable. Imagine the warm, spicy aroma wafting through your kitchen as they come straight from the oven – a sensory experience that pre-packaged buns simply can’t replicate. You have complete control over the flavour. You can use the finest spices, plumpest dried fruits, and even experiment with unique combinations, perhaps adding a touch of citrus zest or chocolate chips.
Secondly, personalisation is key. Shop-bought buns are often standardised, lacking that personal touch. When you’re the baker, you dictate the spice levels, the amount of fruit, and the size and shape of your buns. Want them extra spicy? Go for it. Prefer a larger, more rustic bun? Leave out the candied peel (as I do for a neighbour)? You can make it happen.
Beyond the taste, there’s immense satisfaction and skill development to be gained. Creating something from scratch connects you to the tradition and history of this Easter treat. It’s a wonderful opportunity to hone your baking skills and learn new techniques. Plus, there’s a real sense of accomplishment when you pull a tray of perfectly golden buns from the oven.
Baking at home means avoiding unwanted additives. Most commercially made buns contain preservatives and emulsifiers and other unnecessary ingredients. By making your own, you know exactly what goes into them, which is particularly important for those with allergies or dietary restrictions.
Finally, there’s the experience. Baking is a joyful activity to share with family and friends. The process of kneading, proving, and baking together creates lasting memories. It’s a chance to slow down, enjoy the moment, and create something special.
So, this Easter, why not ditch the supermarket and embrace the joy of homemade hot cross buns? Toasted with lashings of butter. What a treat! And of course, these can be made year round – just call them tea cakes!
Hot Cross Bun Recipe
This recipe utilizes the Tangzhong method for exceptionally soft and light hot cross buns. Tangzhong involves cooking a mixture of butter, milk, and flour to create a roux-like paste, which is then incorporated into the dough. This technique results in a wonderfully tender crumb.
The dough itself is very forgiving and can be prepared ahead of time. After mixing, bring the dough to a temperature between 24 and 26 degrees Celsius, then store it covered in the refrigerator overnight.
Alternatively, you can leave the dough at room temperature for one hour before shaping. Shape the dough directly from the fridge, then allow it to prove for one hour, and then bake.
Piping crosses is optional and can be a bit fiddly. If you wish to pipe crosses, mix equal parts flour and water to create a very thick paste, adding a few drops of vegetable oil. Place in a piping bag, cut a small hole, and pipe in a continuous motion across the proved buns, left to right, then top to bottom
Hot Cross Buns – Great for Tea Cakes too
Equipment
- Stand mixer
- Rolling pin
- Pastry Brush
- Plastic box with lid
- Dough scraper
- Digital scales
Ingredients
For the Tangzhong
- 25 grams butter
- 25 grams flour
- 50 millilitres milk
For the dough
- 500 grams white bread flour
- 7 grams dried instant yeast or 10 gr fresh yeast
- 2 eggs The second egg is for egg wash
- 250 millilitres water
- 25 grams butter
- 8 grams salt
- 50 grams sugar
- 20 gr mixed spice I like to mix my own using cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cloves and nutmeg
Dried Fruit
- 100 gr currants or sultanas
- 50 gr mixed candied peel
Piping (optional)
- 50 gr flour
- water enough to make a stiff paste
- oil a few drops
Glaze
- Apricot jam warm slightly before spreading. Alternatively, used marmalade or redcurrant jelly
Instructions
Tangzhong
- Make the Tangzhong. Weigh out the ingredients in a small saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour and mix, then add the milk. Cook for a few minutes. This is similar to making a roux for a sauce. The mixture will be very thick. Set aside and allow to cool down before using.
Make the dough
- Weigh out the ingredients. In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, egg and 250 ml water at 22?.
- Mix with the dough hook until all the flour incorporated. It will be very stiff. Add the Tangzhong in small lumps. Then add the butter in small pieces.
- Mix until the mixture reaches between 24 and 26°C. The time this will take will depend on how cold the ingredients were to start with. The dough will come away from the sides of the bowl and will feel very stretchy.
- Add the mixed fruit and peel and mix well.
- Cover or place in a plastic box with a cover and allow to rise for 1.5 hour. Alternatively, put the dough in the fridge to prove for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight.
Weigh and roll
- Once your dough has proved either in the fridge or overnight, roll it into 80 gr pieces. Set down in the order of cutting. Try to make sure they are of even size to ensure they bake evenly.
- With a circular motion, roll each piece of dough into a sphere. It's often best to do this in two stages. Roll each one roughly in turn, then roll a second time.
- You’ll now place the buns on your baking tray a thumb width apart. Brush with beaten egg.
Prove
- Allow to prove for at least an hour at room temperature. You’ll see that the buns will have grown and will be almost touching.
- When shaped you will need to leave the buns for about an hour so preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F) at least 1/2 hour before you need to bake.
Pipe crosses (optional)
- Mix equal parts flour and water to create a very thick paste, adding a few drops of vegetable oil. Place in a piping bag, cut a small hole, and pipe in a continuous motion across the proved buns, left to right, then top to bottom.
Bake
- Bake for 15 minutes then check for colour, they should be a light golden brown. Bake longer if necessary.
- Whilst still hot, brush with apricot jam.
