As Easter approaches and after numerous requests from my family, I've decided to try my hand at making sourdough hot cross buns. I’ve only attempted this once before, and while they turned out quite well, they were a bit on the dry side. After some adjustments to my recipe, I'm excited to share the improved version with all of you!
Makes 12 large buns
Ingredients:
500g extra strong white flour
100g wholemeal spelt or wholemeal strong bread flour (I used spelt)
10g salt
120g softened unsalted butter
2 eggs
230ml warm milk (whole or semi skimmed)
150g sourdough starter
80g dried fruit (I used sultanas as that’s all I had available)
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
70g caster sugar (white or golden)
1.5 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)
1 tsp mixed spice (or to taste)
Flour Paste (to make crosses)
75-100g plain white flour
7-8 tbsp water
Sugar Syrup Coating
Make a simple sugar syrup by combining water and sugar (granulated or caster), warm and stir until sugar has dissolved.
Method:
1. Make your starter and allow to get active and bubbly (depending on temperature of your kitchen, this could take 8 hours or so)
2. Add all ingredients to your stand mixer bowl and fit a dough hook
3. Mix in your stand mixer for approx 5-8 minutes until all is fully incorporated. The dough will be quite sticky at this point, you may need to stop your mixer and stir to ensure all the ingredients is incorporated thoroughly
4. Cover bowl with clingfilm and leave to prove (1st prove, ideally overnight)
5. The next morning, turn out dough from bowl onto a generously floured surface. Using your dough scraper, split into 12 equal size pieces (it helps to weigh your dough at this point and divide by 12, then weigh each bun so they are uniform - mine were approx 114-115g each. Place onto a large baking tray lined with baking paper
6. Cover with clean tea towel and leave to prove (2nd prove) for at least 4 hours. Don’t worry if the sides of the buns are touching, this is what you are aiming for which helps to keep them soft
7. Pre-heat oven to 190c fan (210c electric)
8. Make a flour paste by mixing plain flour and water until it becomes a paste to make the crosses on the hot cross buns. Put into an icing bag fitted with a plain nozzle and pipe crosses onto the buns
8. Place risen buns into middle shelf oven and cook for 30-40 mins. If browning too soon on top, cover loosely with foil
9. Buns are ready when they sound hollow when tapped. Remove from oven and brush simple sugar solution over whilst still hot - this makes them lovely and sticky
10. When cool enough to handle, remove from baking tray and place on cooling rack
Enjoy! (Ideally toasted and then spread with an extravagant amount of butter!)
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