Pat PilcherThere’s nothing quite like freshly baked hot cross buns with lashings of melting butter to remind you that Easter is here. Kitchen duties: PAT PILCHER.
These hot cross buns are not only completely delish to eat, but they’re a doddle to make.
I’ve included both the Thermomix recipe and a manual version of this recipe.
Cooking with the Thermomix is nothing short of a game-changer. Not only does it take you through the entire cooking process with bomb-proof step-by-step guided instructions, but everything is also weighed, kneaded and all the hard work is done for you, allowing you to knock out perfect and nutritious food with minimal effort!
Would you like to support our mission to bring intelligence, insight and great writing to entertainment journalism? Help to pay for the coffee that keeps our brains working and fingers typing just for you. Witchdoctor, entertainment for grownups. Your one-off (or monthly) $5 or $10 donation will support Witchdoctor.co.nz. and help us keep producing quality content. It’s really easy to donate, just click the ‘Become a supporter’ button below.
Ingredients
Dough
130g unsalted butter cut into pieces, plus extra to grease
200g milk
50g sugar
2-and-a-half tsp dried instant yeast
2 eggs
500 g baker’s flour, plus extra to dust
1-and-a-half tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
Half tsp ground cloves
1 tsp sea salt
250g mixed dried fruit of choice (I used currants, raisins, and dried orange peel)
Piping mixture
40g plain flour
50g water
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 pinch sea salt
Syrup
40g water
40g sugar
butter, to serve.
Steps (Thermomix Version)
Dough
- Grease a large bowl and line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
- Place a bowl onto mixing bowl lid and weigh butter into it, then set aside.
- Place milk, sugar, and yeast into the mixing bowl, then heat 2 min/37°C/speed 2.
- Add eggs, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt, then mix 20 sec/speed 3, then knead 5 min.
- Knead for a further 2 min, adding the reserved butter 1 piece at a time through hole in mixing bowl lid.
- Place a small bowl onto mixing bowl lid and weigh dried fruit into it then set aside.
- Place dough on a lightly floured silicone bread mat or work surface.
- Press dough out to flatten, then sprinkle with the reserved dried fruit and knead until fruit is incorporated.
- Place dough in greased bowl, cover with a silicone bread mat or a tea towel and set aside in a warm place to prove until doubled in size (approx. 1-1.5 hours). Clean and dry mixing bowl.
- Divide dough into 12 equal-sized pieces (approx. 100g) then form into a bun and place them 3 cm apart on prepared baking tray. Cover with a tea towel and set aside for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, continue with the recipe.
Piping mixture
- Preheat oven to 200°C (fan mode).
- Place a bowl onto mixing bowl lid and weigh flour and water into it. Add oil and salt and mix until smooth.
- Pour into a piping bag with a nozzle (10 mm) and pipe crosses onto the top of the reserved buns.
- Bake hot cross buns for 20 minutes (200°C) until golden brown.
Syrup
- Place water and sugar into mixing bowl and cook 2 min/100°C/speed 2.5, without measuring cup.
- Brush sugar syrup onto the buns while still warm. Allow to cool on the tray for 10 minutes, before transferring onto a wire rack. Serve fresh or toasted, with butter.
Keen to find out more about cooking with Thermomix? Click here.
Steps (Non-Thermomix)
Dough
- Grease a large bowl and line a baking tray with baking paper, then set both aside.
- Add warmed milk, sugar, and yeast into a large bowl, stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Add eggs, flour, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt, and knead until the dough is smooth and stretchy.
- Knead while adding the butter, one piece at a time, ensuring that the butter is mixed through the dough.
- Place dough on a lightly floured silicone bread mat or work surface. Flatten the dough and sprinkle the dried fruit over the dough, kneading it into the dough until fruit is fully incorporated.
- Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with Gladwrap and set aside in a warm place to prove (until the dough has doubled in size (allow 1-1hour thirty minutes).
- Gently roll the dough out into a long sausage and divide dough into 12 equal-sized pieces (they should weigh around 100g). Form each piece into a bun and place them 3cm apart on the baking tray.
- Cover the baking tray with a tea towel and set aside for 30 minutes.
Piping mixture
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (in fan bake mode).
- Add 40g flour and 50g of water into a bowl. Add a tsp of extra virgin olive oil plus a pinch of salt. Mix until smooth. Pour the mixture into a piping bag with a 10mm nozzle and pipe crosses onto the top of the buns.
- Bake hot cross buns for 20 minutes (at 200°C, fan bake) until golden brown.
Syrup
- While the buns are baking, Place 40g of water and 40g of sugar into a small pot and place water and sugar into a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves.
- Bring to the boil for 3-4 minutes.
- Brush sugar syrup onto the buns while still warm. Allow the buns to cool on the tray for 10 minutes, before transferring onto a wire rack. Serve fresh or toasted, with butter.
Expert tip – Use a Thermomix!
If you’re lucky enough to own a Thermomix, making these delicious hot cross buns is almost effortless. Thermomix owners can find the recipe here and add it to their bookmarked recipes (or save it to the collection in the Thermomix’s memory). AWESOME!
