Have you ever made your own hot cross buns? Well, neither have I! I'm actually not a huge fan because of the fruit... yes I'm still like a fussy child :oP I don't like fruit in my yhogurt or my muffins, and certainly not in my hot cross buns. But! Mum has been raving about her hot cross bun recipe and Justin loves hot cross buns, so we decided to make them.
Here is how we went!
Utensils List
Bowls
Measuring cups/spoons
Cooking utensils (inc. pastry brush)
Sieve
Glad wrap and tea-towels
Small saucepan
Silicone mat (not required - bench is fine)
Piping bag (not required - any small plastic freezer/snaplock bag would work)
Ingredients List
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| Ready for action |
For the buns:
1 ½ cups milk
7g sachet dried yeast
⅓ cup castor sugar
3 ½ cups plain flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups dried mixed fruit
1 egg (at room temperature and lightly beaten)
50g melted butter
For the cross:
⅓ cup self-raising flour
¼ cup water
For the glaze:
½ cup water
⅓ cup caster sugar
1 tsp powdered gelatine
Instructions For The Buns:
1. Cover the dried mixed fruit with water in a bowl to soak for 1 hour (or until they are plumped up).
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| Plumped up mixed fruit after being soaked for an hour |
Mum really wanted to drown them in rum but thought maybe it wouldn't be a good idea...
2. Heat milk to lukewarm, remove from heat, pour in to a large bowl.
I didn't know that it's important not to overheat the milk because hot milk will kill the yeast and those little soldiers have work to do!
3. Add the yeast and 1 tbsp of the sugar (not all the sugar!!).
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| Milk, yeast and sugar mixture |
4. Cover with glad-wrap and place in a warm spot (out of reach of little fingers) for 20 minutes (or until frothy).
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| Soaking up some rays |
5. While that's frothing, get the rest of the ingredients ready - like melting the butter and beating the egg.
6. Sift the flour, spices and salt into a large bowl.
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| Shake it |
7. Once the milk mixture is frothy, add the melted butter and lightly beaten egg.
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| This is what the milk mixture will look like once the yeast has activated |
Now we are ready to combine everything!
8. So add the remaining sugar to the flour mixture. Stir.
9. Next drain the mixed fruit and stir in.
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| Ready for the milk mixture |
10. Finally, stir the milk mixture in gradually until a dough forms.
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| Mix it all up |
11. Turn out and knead until smooth and elastic (approx. 6 mins)
Mum dug out her Tupperware silicone mat to knead the dough on - but you can do it on the bench ;o)
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| Splat |
| Keep the surface and your fingers lightly floured to reduce the stickiness of the blob. |
| Eck glad it's not me doing that :oP |
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| Eck glad it's not me doing that :oP |
| Keep dusting and kneading the blob. |
| Needs more kneading |
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| Needs more kneading |
12. Place in a large oiled bowl and turn dough around in bowl to coat it in oil.
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| Ready to get rising |
We spray-coated our bowl and just sprayed the dough once it was in the bowl.
13. Cover with plastic and place in a warm spot again for 1 hour (or until doubled in size).
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| I went and chased Isla around the yard in her new harem pants for a photo |
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| This is the 'risen' result |
14. Now that the dough has risen, punch it down (literally) and turn it out onto your floured work surface.
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| Punch it! |
15. Knead for 3 minutes (or until smooth and elastic).
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| More kneading |
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| Logan was trying to help |
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| Ready for shaping |
It was a bit sticky so mum added a bit of flour to her hands in the kneading process.
16. Shape into a 14cm x 24cm rectangle.
17. Cut lengthways into 3 even pieces.
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| Cut 12 portions |
18. Then cut each length into 4.
19. Shape pieces into tall squares or balls.
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| Shape the buns with your hands |
20. Place each bun 1cm apart into a lightly greased lamington pan.
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| Rise little buns, rise! |
21. Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 20 minutes.
They will rise again and hopefully join up.
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| Joined up - and looking rather squishy! |
Whilst that's happening, make the cross mixture.
Instructions for the Cross:
1. Whisk flour and water together to form a paste.
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| The cross mixture |
2. Scrape into a piping bag (or snaplock bag and cut the tip off) and pipe 3 long strips across the buns and then 4 strips down the buns. Make sense?
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| Crossing the buns |
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| Ready to pop in the oven |
3. Pop tray in a hot oven (200C) for 10 minutes.
4. Then reduce oven to 180C and cook for another 20-25 minutes (or until golden and cooked through).
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| Smells amazing |
5. Stand 5 minutes.
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| Hot buns fresh out of the oven |
Whilst you're waiting, make the glaze.
Instructions for the glaze
1. Place water, sugar, and gelatine in a saucepan over low heat.
2. Stir until sugar and gelatine dissolve. Remove.
3. Brush tops of warm buns with glaze.
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| Glazing is so simple |
I asked mum what the gelatine is for and she said it gives the buns their glossy shine.
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| Glossy and ready for butter-smothering |
4. Let them cool and pop them out to either smother in butter and devour or freeze for Easter weekend!
Happy Easter <3 <3 <3
Tab
#Easter, #Hotcrossbuns, #Easterfood, #Cookingtutorial, #Yum, #Cookingwithmum
