Hot Cross Buns

Is there a more iconic Easter bake? These are heavy on the rum & heavy on the spice

Hello friends,

I had my first hot cross bun of the year back in February. That might be considered too early for some but as soon as they start popping up in the shops, I’m all over it. But then once we hit Easter Monday, I’m good ‘till next year and won’t have a single one until February rolls around again. I usually start the season with some supermarket buys - shout out to M&S for their extra fruity buns. And then as we get closer to Easter, I’ll dig into all the delicious handmade bakery offerings as well as a few batches of my own.

I like my hot cross buns fairly classic. Every year there seems to be more wacky flavours popping up; I saw a pack of sticky toffee hot cross buns this year and I just can’t get on board with that. I feel like there needs to be some stricter rules. I’d go as far to say some sort of dried fruit is a must?! Raisins, sultanas, dried cherries, candied peel or dried apricots would all be good options but without them it always feels like something is missing. Spices are also non negotiable for me. Personally, I like mine on the heavy side but even just a bit of cinnamon and cloves go a long way in a good bun. I’m not a complete purist though and I’m open to additions like chocolate, but it’s exactly that, an addition. There should still be some fruit and spice in there!

I’ve been making a similar hot cross bun recipe for a few years now but this year I’ve switched the method up a little bit and started incorporating a tangzhong, which is essentially a roux or paste used a lot in Chinese baking to help keep bread nice and soft. It’s an easy extra step where you heat some milk and flour to get a thick paste. Once this cools, you add it to your dough and continue as normal.

Rum and raisin is my flavour choice this year! Soak your fruits for as long as you can so they get all plump and juicy and carry the rum flavour through. Overnight would be great but even longer wouldn’t be a bad thing at all. I also don’t hold back with the spices here; plenty of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg to give a beautifully fragrant dough that screams Easter.

We all know the best to have your hot cross buns is slathered in butter. When they’re freshly baked, and still super soft and squidgy, I’ll have them warm with a pat of cold butter but for the days after, they just have to be sliced and toasted. Of course, with extra butter.

Enjoy these buns in the run up to Easter and I’ll be back next week with a March round up and a new recipe just for paid subscribers.

Benjamina x

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RUM & RAISIN HOT CROSS BUNS

RECIPE

makes 12

For the tangzhong(roux):
30g strong white bread flour
150ml full fat milk

For the buns:
150g raisins (or a mix of raisins and sultanas)
120ml dark rum or spiced rum
460g strong white bread flour
7g fast action instant yeast
60g dark brown sugar, plus extra for syrup
30g caster sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
150ml full fat milk
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 large egg
zest of 1 orange, finely grated
65g unsalted butter, softened

For the cross:
60g plain flour
10g icing sugar
40ml water

METHOD

1. Add the raisins to a bowl and pour over the rum. Cover and let this sit overnight to plump up the raisins. If you’ve got less time, gently heat the rum in a small saucepan but don’t let it come to the boil. Pour the warm rum over the raisins and let them sit for an hour but longer is always better here!

2. To make the tangzhong, add the flour and milk to a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk to combine. Cook until the mixture thickens to gloopy paste. Scoop it into a clean bowl, cover with cling film touching the surface and set aside to cool to room temperature.

3. For the dough, add the remaining flour, spices, sugar and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix to combine. Add in the salt and make a well in the centre. Pour in the milk, egg, orange zest, almond extract and cooled tangzhong and knead the dough on low speed with the dough hook for 10 -12 minutes until you have a smooth dough. It shouldn’t be too sticky.

4. Let the dough rest, uncovered for 10 minutes before continuing to knead again. Add in the softened butter and knead for a further 6-8 minutes until the dough looks smooth and glossy. Drain the raisins - (keeping the liquid!) and add them to the dough. Knead briefly to bring the dough back together (it will look like it has separated at first but keep mixing!) and then place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with cling film or a clean tea towel, place it in a warm place and let it rise for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.

5. Preheat the oven to 170C fan/190C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

6. Knock the air out of the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Split the dough into 12 equal portions and roll them into neat balls. Place them in rows of three on a lined baking tray, leaving a little space between them. Cover with cling film and let them rise again for 45-50 minutes or until they look puffy.

7. Make the paste for the cross by adding the flour, water and sugar to a small bowl and mixing well until smooth. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and pipe onto the buns.

8. Bake for 27-32 minutes until nicely browned.

9. Whilst they bake, add the leftover rum from soaking the raisins to a small pan along with 1/2 a tablespoon of dark brown sugar. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar and remove from the heat. Brush the syrup generously over the warms buns. Let them cool down for 20 minutes before serving warm with lots of butter.

10. When serving the next day, slice in half and toast well. Serve with extra butter.