Yield: 12 buns Method is flying ferment
Hot Cross Buns
Time
Mix ferment: 40 minutes
Mix final dough: 15 minutes
First fermentation: 1 hour, with a fold at 30 minutes
Divide and shape: 10 minutes
Proof: 1 hour
Pipe crosses: 10 minutes
Bake: 15 minutes
Glaze: 5 minutes
Mix ferment: 40 minutes
Mix final dough: 15 minutes
First fermentation: 1 hour, with a fold at 30 minutes
Divide and shape: 10 minutes
Proof: 1 hour
Pipe crosses: 10 minutes
Bake: 15 minutes
Glaze: 5 minutes
Ingredients
Flying ferment Ingredients
50g Strong Bread Flour
100 g milk at about 25c
10g sugar
10g Active dried yeast or 25g Fresh Yeast
Final Dough Ingredients
450g Strong Bread Flour
65 g butter, softened
55 g sugar
50 g (1 whole) egg
3 g (1/2 t.) salt
1&1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1&1/2 tsp. ground mixed spice
150 g water
170g dried mixed fruit
Piping Paste Ingredients
85 g pastry flour or soft plain flour
25 g vegetable oil
60 g water
Glaze Ingredients
60 g sugar
60 g water
Dough Temperature formula
Take the desired dough temperature that you require and multiply it by the number of factors that will effect the final dough temp. In this case that will be 4 i.e The preferment, the flour temp. the room, & the water/milk temp, then subtract the temperature of the room, preferment, & flour to arrive at your required water/milk temperature. i.e. Final desired dough temp. = 25c so 4 x 25 = 100 lets say for a simple example the room, flour and preferment are all at 22c Therefore subtract 66 from 100 = 34c which is the temperature of water & milk required to achieve your desired dough temperature.
Method
- For the sponge, combine milk and yeast in a medium bowl. Whisk in flour and sugar. The mixture will be very liquid. Cover and let rest for about 30 – 40 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (kitchen aid or similar) with beater paddle, mix final dough flour, and softened butter until the butter is evenly distributed through the flour.
- Add egg, sugar, spices, and salt. Continue to mix until combined. The mixture will be quite dry at this point.
- Replace the beater with the dough hook. Add the flying ferment and start mixing on low speed. Add 150g water or as as needed to make a soft dough ( you may not need all of water as this will depend on the absorption characteristics of the flour your using) but not too sticky and mix until well combined, about 3 minutes. Mix on medium speed, occasionally scraping the dough down the sides of the bowl. When the dough starts to leave the sides and come together around the dough hook, the gluten should have reached a medium level of development. (About 10mins if hand kneading. )
- Add the mixed fruit & mix on low speed just until they are evenly distributed through the dough.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled, covered container. Ferment in a warm place for one hour, with a fold at 30 minutes.
- Turn the dough onto an unfloured work bench and divide it into 12 pieces (about 92g each).
- Lightly degas each piece of dough and tuck the edges under to form a loose ball. Then tighten the ball, place it on the counter with your cupped hand loosely around it, and move your hand in a tight circle several times.
- Place the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Press them lightly with your palm to flatten them a bit.
- Cover and proof in a warm place for about an hour.
- While the buns proof, make the glaze. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Now make the piping paste. Sift the pastry flour and combine it with the vegetable oil. Slowly add water, stirring well after each addition, until the mixture reaches the consistency of very thick glue. Don’t make it so thin that it runs, but if it is too thick it will be difficult to pipe.
- Preheat the oven to 175c
- When the buns are finished proofing, pipe the crosses onto them using a piping bag fitted with a 1/4 inch round nozzle.
- Load the tray of buns into the centre of the oven & then lower temp of oven to 175c maybe a little lower in a fan oven. They will take about 15mins to bake. As it is an enriched dough they will take on colour quickly, and if too quickly then lower the temp. Then immediately they are removed from the oven brush over the sugar glaze for a traditional finish. Best eaten slightly warm with good butter.
“ONE A PENNY TWO A PENNY HOT CROSS BUNS”
Thank you to Melvyn for sending in this delicious recipe!
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