How to Make Extremely Soft Hot Cross Buns

butter

🥗Healthier: coconut oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Coconut oil provides a dairy-free option while margarine is often less expensive.

currants

🥗Healthier: raisins

💰Cheaper: sultanas

Raisins are a healthier dried fruit option, while sultanas are generally cheaper.

icing sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: powdered sugar

Honey offers a natural sweetener alternative, while powdered sugar is often less expensive.

Welcome viewers and introduce the recipe for hot cross buns.

List ingredients needed for the dough: white bread flour, water, yeast, salt, sugar, mixed spice, melted butter, candied citrus peel, and currants or raisins.

Mention the ingredients for the decorative crossing paste: softened butter, flour, and icing sugar.

Prepare the baking tray by using a lloydpans pizza pan and lining it with baking paper.

Mix the decorative paste in a small bowl: combine flour, icing sugar, and softened butter to form a paste, then transfer to a piping bag and set aside.

Combine flour, salt, sugar, and mixed spice in a large bowl.

Pour boiling water over the dry ingredients to cook the flour and mix with a whisk until smooth, noting that lumps are okay.

Add melted butter, candied citrus peel, and raisins to the scalded mixture and cover to cool at room temperature or in the fridge/freezer.

Once cooled, add yeast to the mixture and mix in remaining flour with a dough scraper to form a dough, aiming for a final dough temperature of around 25°C (77°F).

Cover the dough and let it rise for 1 hour for bulk fermentation, then perform a fold by flattening the dough and folding it over itself, then cover and let rise for another hour.

After bulk fermentation, weigh the dough and divide it into 12 equal pieces, or adjust as desired for larger buns.

Pre-shape each piece by flattening it, folding edges to the center, and tightening into a ball, then cover and rest for 15 minutes.

Perform final shaping by repeating the pre-shaping steps to create smooth dough balls, then arrange them on the baking tray.

Brush melted butter between the buns to prevent sticking, cover, and let proof for 1.5 to 2 hours depending on kitchen temperature.

Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F) with the fan on or 190°C (375°F) with the fan off.

Once the buns have puffed up, draw crosses on them with the piping bag, optionally spritz with water before baking.

Bake the buns in the oven for around 25 minutes.

Prepare the sugar syrup by combining water and sugar in a small pan, bringing it to a boil.

Once the buns are baked, brush them with the hot sugar syrup to give them a shiny finish.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

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Allergens