Made with a buttery spiced fruit dough, these are deliciously light and fluffy.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon (7g/1 sachet) dried yeast
- 70g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
- 210ml milk, warmed
- 450g (3 cups) Lighthouse Bread & Pizza Plain Flour
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs, lightly whisked
- 100g unsalted butter, chopped, at room temperature
- 170g pkt blueberry-flavoured dried cranberries
- 50g (1/4 cup) mixed peel
- 1 lemon, rind finely grated
- 125ml (1/2 cup) water
- 2 tablespoons caster sugar, extra
- 230g (1 1/2 cups) icing sugar mixture
- 10g unsalted butter, extra, melted
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
Method
- Step 1Whisk yeast, 1 teaspoon caster sugar and 60ml (1/4 cup) milk in a bowl. Cover. Set aside for 5-10 minutes or until frothy. Whisk in 1/2 cup flour. Cover. Set aside for 45 minutes or until it doubles in size.
- Step 2Use an electric mixer with a dough hook to combine the allspice, salt and remaining flour and caster sugar in a bowl. Add yeast mixture, egg and remaining milk. Combine on low speed. Knead in butter, a few pieces at a time. Knead for 8-10 minutes or until dough comes away from side of bowl. Knead in cranberries, mixed peel and lemon rind. Transfer to a greased bowl. Cover. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 1 1/2 hours or until it doubles in size.
- Step 3Grease a 20 x 30cm (base measurement) slice pan with butter. Scrape dough onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into 12 even portions. Place in prepared pan. Cover. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 30 minutes or until buns rise by about half.
- Step 4Preheat oven to 200C. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce to 160°C. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked.
- Step 5Meanwhile, stir the water and extra caster sugar in a saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the glaze thickens.
- Step 6Transfer the buns to a wire rack. Brush tops with glaze. Set aside to cool.
- Step 7Combine the icing sugar and extra butter in a bowl. Gradually stir in the lemon juice until a smooth paste forms. Place in a sealable plastic bag. Cut 1 corner from the bag to make a 2mm hole. Pipe crosses onto the buns.
Notes
Follow these tips to help you make the best hot cross buns:
1) Check the yeast mixture is active – if it doesn’t get frothy, you need new yeast.
2) For a rich dough, knead in butter, a few pieces at a time, until incorporated.
3) For even buns, arrange portions in the pan – they’ll expand to fill any gaps.
4) To make crosses, pipe lemon icing in long rows across the cooled buns.
Get ahead: To freeze hot cross buns, cool completely then separate and wrap each bun in plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 2 months.
- Author: Alison Adams
- Image credit: Al Richardson
- Publication: Australian Good Taste
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