The ultimate hot cross buns
Ready in about 3 hours Makes 15
500g flour
10g salt
80g brown sugar
60g butter, softened but not melted 6g mixed spice
¼ cup finely chopped glace orange rind,
optional
Zest of ½ unsprayed orange
330g water
10g dried yeast (1 sachet)
150g sultanas
100g currants
PASTE FOR THE CROSSES
100g flour
Pinch salt
Cold water, enough to make a thin paste
GLAZE
80g brown sugar
80g water
Pinch of five-spice or 1 whole star anise,
optional
In a mixer with a dough hook, place the flour, salt, brown sugar, butter, mixed spice, water and yeast. Mix on lowest speed for 2 minutes, then for 5-6 minutes on medium speed until a smooth dough is formed. The dough will come away from the sides of the bowl but still be a little sticky. Add the fruit and mix slowly until evenly distributed.
Cover the top of the bowl with a clean damp tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise for at least an hour, or until doubled in size. Once the dough has risen, turn it out on to a board, knead a few times then divide into 80g pieces (15). Roll into balls and place in a shallow baking tray lined with baking paper allowing a little space between each.
Leave to rise again until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Pre-heat oven to 190C While oven heats, make the paste for the crosses. Combine flour, salt and water in a ziplock bag and squish until a thick paste is formed. Make a small (½ cm) cut in one corner of the bag with scissors and pipe a cross on each bun.bake at 190C for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and buns sound hollow when tapped.
While buns bake make the glaze. Bring sugar water and optional five-spice or star anise to boil, and while the buns are still hot, brush glaze over the buns.
Allow to cool slightly on a rack (if you can wait) then split and serve with lashings of butter.
NOTE: With a set of scales and a stand mixer, these are the simplest hot cross buns ever. It’s important to weigh everything accurately, that way you know the buns will have the correct ratios and be light and tender.
Match this with ...
National Distillery Hot Cross Bun Vodka (700ml 40 per cent, $59)
This is always a smash hit at the Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Markets as soon as autumn rolls round, because it’s so deliciously unputdownable. No matter how you like your HCBS, plain, riddled with raisins, crammed with currants, saturated with sultanas or chocka with chocolate chips — this sweetly spiced, vanilla and chocolate-layered, limited edition vodka is the business. nationaldistillery.nz