It is Easter and the world has changed remarkably since I last put up my blog post. With the current lockdowns and social distancing measures in place as Australia and the world battles with the spread of coronavirus, many people are now spending so much more time at home and wondering what to do. For someone who is always use to be out and about and socialising and dining out at events, the change for me has been that I’m cooking a lot more at home, honing in and refining the baking skills I have learnt from Bake Club’s Make Me a Baker course in the past 6 months. Baking recipes no longer scare me and in fact I read them with ease like I would read a magazine or a newspaper, knowing intuitively which will work and which might not. You cannot wing baking. A lot of time and preparation is required in baking and it is important that if you don’t normally bake then source your recipes from a reputable sources that have been tested at least twice or thrice, otherwise it is a big waste of time and ingredients (and flour is scarce right now in supermarkets – that said you can buy them in bulk at wholesaler distributors across Sydney that are now open to the general public).
I’ve been watching a lot of baking programs such as Great British Bake Off. I’m hooked and I love how the primary judges share their recipes especially Paul Hollywood, the James Bond of baking.
I tried Paul Hollywood’s classic hot cross buns for the first time and they turned out absolutely amazing. As soon as they came out of the oven I dropped some to my Aunty Joyce’s home knowing she likes hot cross buns and she said to me afterwards, “I rate it 100% … I’ve bought hot cross buns from cake shops and nothing tastes as good as yours!” So chuffed. Fresh fruit pieces make all the difference and I get all my beautiful fresh produce home delivered on a regular basis by MD’s Sydney Provodores.
Why wait for next Easter to enjoy hot cross buns when they are that good. Here is the Paul Hollwood’s hot cross bun recipe. The only modification I made is that I used a hand mixer with a dough hook to knead the dough because the dough is quite sticky. When it all came together, I then put it on a lightly floured surface and kneaded it briefly before putting it in an oiled bowl to prove.
Once out of the oven, enjoy the hot cross buns which are packed with flavour, not too sweet and irresistible with a slather of butter.
Ingredients
For the buns
300ml whole milk
500g strong white flour
75g caster sugar
1 tsp salt
7g sachet fast-action yeast
50g butter
1 free-range egg, beaten
150g sultanas
80g mixed peel (I didn’t use this and still tastes amazing with just fresh apple and orange rind)
1 fresh apple, cored and chopped
2 fresh oranges, zest only
2 tsp ground cinnamon
Sunflower or olive oil, for greasing the bowl
For the cross
75g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
For the glaze
3 tbsp apricot jam
Method
- Bring the milk to the boil and then remove from the heat and leave to cool until it reaches hand temperature.
- Mix the flour, sugar, salt, yeast, butter and egg together in a bowl, then slowly add the warmed milk until it forms a soft, sticky dough (I used a hand mixer with dough hook to bring it together as it’s quite sticky).
- Add the sultanas, mixed peel, chopped apple, orange zest and cinnamon, then tip out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough by holding the dough with one hand and stretching it with the heal of the other hand, then folding it back on itself. Repeat for five minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
- Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise for approximately one hour, or until doubled in size.
- Divide the dough into 12 even pieces, and roll each piece into a smooth ball on a lightly floured surface. Arrange the buns on a baking tray lined with parchment, leaving enough space so that the buns just touch when they rise and expand. Set aside to prove for another hour.
- Heat the oven to 220C/425F.
- For the cross, mix the flour with about five tablespoons of water in small bowl, adding the water one tablespoon at a time, so that you add just enough for a thick paste. Spoon into a piping bag with a small nozzle. Pipe a line along each row of buns, then repeat in the other direction to create crosses.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven, or until golden-brown (for the last 7 – 10 minutes I turned down the oven to 180 degrees as the buns as I had fan forced on),
- Gently heat the apricot jam to melt, then sieve to get rid of any chunks. While the jam is still warm, brush over the top of the warm buns and leave to cool. Gently rip the hot cross buns apart to serve, revealing temptingly soft edges.
