Hot Cross Buns Recipe

Recipe by: Weigela Wiegand

Every year I try to change up something about my hot cross bun recipe and this year I opted for a bit of spelt flour and prunes alongside all the usual suspects! These hot cross buns are so easy to make in the Wilfa ProBaker Timer mixer, a fail-safe recipe to impress your friends and family this Easter!

Delightfully delicious with lashings of butter and flakey salt - you can’t go wrong!

Ingredients

*Poolish:
- 2g dried yeast
- 150g strong white flour
- 150g water (warm)

Dough:
- 300g poolish (*above)
- 200g whole milk (warm)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 7g dried yeast
- 420g strong white flour
- 100g wholemeal spelt flour
- 60g caster sugar
- 6g salt
- 70g unsalted butter (cubed, room temperature)

Inclusions:
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- zest of 1 orange
- 90g mixed peel
- 90g prunes (chopped)
- 90g raisins (soaked and drained)

Cross mix:
- 50-70g strong white flour
- 50g water
- 1 tsp veg oil

Glaze:
- 100g orange juice
- Peel of 1 orange
- 50-100g honey
- 1 cinnamon stick

Method

DAY 1

- Make your poolish by combining the ingredients in a bowl, cover and place in the fridge (for up to 24 hours).

DAY 2

Prep:
- Soak the raisins in hot water for 20 minutes until soft, then strain and set aside.

Dough:
- Add the dough ingredients to the mixer, attach the dough hook.
-- Mix for 4-5 minutes on speed 5 (dough will come together), then rest the dough for 5 minutes
-- Add the inclusions to the mixer and mix to combine for a further 2 minutes on speed 2
- Cover the dough and allow it to proof until double in size (approx. 1 hour).
- Portion 80g pieces and shape into round balls by cupping your hand over the top and rotating in a circular motion.
- Place on a lined tray/s and allow to rise once more (approx. 30-45 minutes).

Cross mix:
- Whisk the ingredients together, add more flour if too runny, then add to a piping bag.
- Pipe the crosses on top of the proofed buns right before baking.

Glaze:
- Add everything to a pot (50g honey) and reduce down for 10-15 minutes until semi-thick.
- Glaze while buns are still warm.

Bake:
- Pre-heat the oven to 180’c fan.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes.

Finishing:
- Drizzle more honey over the top (additional honey leftover).

Yield: 18 HxBs
Storage: 3 days in a sealed container