Yeah, it’s been a while.
I skipped right from Christmas to Easter. I promise I have been eating on non-Christian holidays, too. It’s just that I have been doing some other stuff around here in the mean time – new home, new job, new haircut. I’ve been occupied.
For those who don’t know, hot cross (or crossed) buns are a British baked good that happen all over the place around Easter. Sort of like a better, higher class version of marshmallow Peeps in the states. They are enriched buns made with dried fruit and spice, and they usually get split down the middle, toasted, and spread with lots of butter before being consumed with cups of tea. In other words: bright kitchen heaven.
These lovelies are my answer to the hot cross buns problem (i.e. I live in the US now and the supermarkets and coffee shops don’t sell any hot cross buns). I’ve made a few changes along the way: no candied peel, no sugary glaze. Less sugar overall, in fact, and a bit more whole grain flour.
I also removed the cross-y bit. This is because: if the cross is icing, then it impedes the primary purpose of the hot cross bun, which is to be toasted. And if the cross is the traditional flour-water paste, then why add basic glue to my baked goods? I will not be crushed by the weight of tradition. My buns are cross-less. Hence the name. (I thought about calling them “not crossed buns”, but after telling my writing students to kill their sparkly-darling-catch-phrases-of-cuteness-overload, I couldn’t in good conscience engage in that kind of thing myself.)
Loosely adapted from this recipe.
- 1 teaspoon + 25g sugar
- 1 7g packet of dried yeast
- 300 g plain flour
- 150g sprouted whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- small pinch of allspice
- 125g raisins
- zest of three clementines
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 100 ml milk
- Activate the yeast: mix 1 teaspoon of sugar with the yeast and 150 ml of warm water. Set aside until the yeast rises to the surface and "blooms".
- Mix flours and spices in a large bowl, then add zest, raisins, and sugar. Make a well in the middle of the mixture and add the egg, oil, and milk.
- Using a fork, beat the liquids together until smooth-ish, then mix in the rest of the ingredients until you get a soft dough. Add more milk or water if necessary, depending on the dryness of your flour.
- Place the dough on a clean, floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes, or until the dough changes in your hands. It will relax, become smooth and glossy, feel springy. Put the dough back in the bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Leave for an hour, or until doubled in size. (I needed a bit more than an hour. My house was chilly.)
- After the dough is doubled, deflate and knock it back and divide into 12 portions. Roll each portion in to a bun shape and place on a parchment-lined baking tray for about 40 minutes, or until puffed up again. Bake at 425 for 12-15 minutes, remove, and cool on rack.
*you can play with flour ratios and other flours here. I have done this recipe with all white flour, and with a mix of other flours including oat. It is pretty forgiving.