Hot Cross Buns with Citrus Zest
Add some zest to your Easter celebrations with these deliciously spiced citrus Hot Cross buns, best served buttered with tea or coffee.
Ingredients
- 600g plain flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 55g castor sugar
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 60g butter
- 2 tsp dried yeast
- 375ml warm milk
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 egg
- 120g sultanas
For the White Paste
- 100ml cake flour
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 pinch of baking powder
- 5ml sunflower oil
- 50ml milk
For the Sugar Glaze
- 65g granulated sugar
- 30ml lemon juice
- 30ml orange juice
- Peel of 1 orange
- Peel of 1 lemon
Method
- For the dough:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook, sift the flour, salt, sugar and spices and rub in the butter.
- Add the dried yeast and mix in well.
- Warm the milk with the orange zest, beat in the egg.
- Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix on medium speed to form a sticky dough, adding more liquid if necessary.
- Knead until the dough comes away from the edges of the bowl and a soft, sticky dough has formed.
- Place in a greased bowl and cover with a damp tea towel until doubled in size.
- Grease a Le Creuset 3-ply Stainless Steel 35cm Rectangular Roaster.
- Knockback the dough and roll out on a floured surface to form a rectangle, sprinkle over the fruit and roll up like a Swiss roll.
- Weigh out the dough into 20 equal pieces of approximately 60g each.
- Roll into evenly shaped buns. Place the buns into the roaster, cover with a damp tea towel, and prove until doubled in size.
- Preheat an oven to 220°C (200°C fan).
To make the white paste:
- Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.
- Rub in the oil and add enough milk to form a piping consistency.
- Place into the piping bag and snip off the end to pipe the crosses onto the buns.
To bake the buns:
- Place the hot cross buns on the centre shelf, then turn the temperature down to 200°C (190°fan).
- After 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 180°C (170° fan) and continue baking until cooked through (15-20 minutes longer).
- The buns must be well browned and sound hollow when tapped underneath.
For the syrup:
- Dissolve the sugar and the water completely in a casserole, add the citrus peel and boil rapidly for 3 minutes to form a syrup.
- For the glaze:
- Glaze the buns generously with the syrup immediately after coming out of the oven.
- Allow to cool for ten minutes and turn out of the roaster.
- Serve hot with butter.
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