Adrian Richardson’s quick and easy hot cross buns
The popularity of baking has surged during the coronavirus outbreak.
With Easter arriving this weekend, La Luna chef Adrian Richardson has shared two of his recipes for hot cross buns, to keep you busy at home this long weekend!
The recipes are of differing difficulty levels, so there’s something everyone can tackle!
Richo’s quick and easy hot cross buns
This is a quick, no yeast recipe that requires no proving, make them and bake straight away!
You can add chocolate chips or any fruit you like.
If you don’t have any self-raising flour, you can make your own; just put 2 teaspoon of baking powder with each cup of plain flour.
To make the dough
4 cups self-raising flour
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups cream
¼ cup milk
½ tsp cinnamon
1-tab cocoa or drinking chocolate
½ cup currants (raisins, mixed peel or chocolate chips all work fine)
To make the crosses
1 cup flour mixed with 1/2 cup of water, mix until you have a paste. Place in piping bag (a zip lock bag with the corner cut out works fine).
Pre-heat oven to 200°C
Place all ingredients into a bowl and gently mix until all is combined.
Turn out onto a lightly floured bench.
Roll into 12 balls (60 grams each), be careful not to work the dough too much.
Line a baking dish or tray with baking paper (a cake tin is fine).
Place balls into the dish, leaving a 1 centimetre gap between each one.
Bake in a pre-heated oven for 10 minutes then take out and pipe flour mix on top of buns.
Bake for a further 25 mins until lightly brown.
When slightly cooled, brush with warm honey or jam to glaze.
Eat with lashings of butter and jam.
Richo’s hot cross buns for baking experts
Ingredients
2 tsp. dried yeast
½ cup water, room temperature
1 cup milk, room temperature
75g butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. allspice
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground nutmeg
4 cups plain flour, plus extra, if necessary
1 ½ mixed dried fruit (sultanas, currants, raisins and mixed peel)
¼ honey
Crosses
⅓ cup plain flour
⅓ cup water
Method
In a small bowl, combine a large pinch of the sugar with water, then sprinkle yeast over it. Stand for 7 minutes or until it activates and becomes foamy. Combine yeast mixture in a large bowl with the milk, butter and egg and stir well.
Add flour, spices, dried fruit then stir until combined and a coarse dough forms. Turn out onto lightly-floured surface then, knead dough for 5 mins or until smooth and elastic, adding a little more flour if dough is sticky. Take care not to add too much extra flour or buns will be heavy.
Place dough in a large, greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave for 40 min in a warm place. Turn dough out onto a lightly-floured surface, pat into a rough round shape, then cut into 12 even-sized pieces with a large, sharp knife. Roll each piece into a ball then place, on a greased tray. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and prove for another 10 minutes.
For crosses, combine ingredients in small bowl and stir until smooth and combined. Pipe a cross shape over the top of each bun. Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden and risen, then turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool. For glaze, heat ¼ cup of honey in saucepan, then brush mixture over top of buns.
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