Hot cross buns are an Easter treat that are delicious all year around.
Taj Jumeirah Lakes Towers’ Executive Chef Sonu Koithara has shared his hot cross bun recipe with Time Out, so you can whip some up at home. The recipe makes 25 buns but you needn’t worry about wasting leftovers. Here are some top recipes to use up any hot cross buns that you might have left over.
Makes 25
Ingredients:
• 200g flour
• 250ml warm milk
• 35g fresh yeast
Dough ingredients:
• 500g flour
• 10g salt
• 5g bread improver
• 3 eggs
• 150g butter
• 250g black raisins (soaked overnight in water)
• 5g nutmeg
• 5g cinnamon
• 5g Stollen spice (or a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in equal quantity)
• 125g sugar
Icing ingredients:
• 50g T55 flour
• 25g corn oil
• 56ml water
• 6g sugar
Method:
1. Mix together all the ingredients for the starter and set aside to ferment for three hours.
2. After three hours, mix together the starter, flour, bread improver, egg, butter, nutmeg, cinnamon, Stollen spice and sugar in a dough mixer on slow for seven minutes.
3. Add the salt and continue mixing for four more minutes.
4. Turn up the speed and mix for another six minutes.
5. Add the raisins and mix them in making sure they are evenly distributed.
6. Set the dough aside and let it rest for one hour.
7. Preheat the oven at 170°C.
8. Divide the dough into 25 even pieces (around 40g per piece).
9. Roll each piece into a smooth ball and arrange on a baking tray lined with baking paper leaving space between each ball.
10. Bake for 12 to15 minutes until the buns are a golden brown colour.
11. For the icing, whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl until it is a smooth consistency.
12. Lightly brush the buns with olive oil and pipe along each row of the buns and repeat in the other direction, creating the cross marks.
And voilà – home-made hot cross buns. Best enjoyed with a generous slather of salted butter.
For more top recipes to try at home, head here.
