"Hot cross buns, Hot cross buns! One a penny, two a penny, Hot cross buns!!"
This song stayed with the foodie in me ever since childhood.
It is a folk song as well as an old English recipe, which is associated with the end of Lent period. They are eaten on Good Friday, and are a crowd favorite each Easter. Most bakeries and chocolate companies start selling them even a month before Easter. However I feel its always special to make your own buns, instead of getting it from the market. Trust me there is nothing better than making your own recipe! Your house feels heavenly with the warm bread smell with a hint of spice and sugar. It actually makes you feel good, cozy, warm, fuzzy, happy and of course, HUNGRY!
Why is it called a tea cake?
In Finland and Sweden, tea cake means tekaka or sweetened white yeast bread.
What makes this recipe special?
- This recipe is egg-less. Hence vegetarians can enjoy these too.
- Also we use whole meal flour along with plain flour or maida. This makes it healthier yet full of flavor.
- You can adjust the sugar according to your taste.
- Also, you can use any alternative like stevia etc as per your taste.
- We also use flax seeds, which compensates for the fiber missing due to use of plain flour.
- It further adds Omega 3 fats.
How to make hot cross buns?
- Add yeast to warm water along with sugar so that it rises.
- Mix flax seeds in warm water.
3. Knead the dough with above.
4. Let it rise for 30-45 mins.
5. Mix the currants, raisins and nuts as per your choice.
6. Add berries to dough and mix them well.
7. Shape the buns into equal sized balls.
8. Let it rise for 30 mins.
9. Bake for 15 mins at 200 deg C.
10. Make a cross with paste of self raising flour
Read the recipe of these hot cross buns below:
Hot cross buns - with wholemeal flour
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups flour 1-¼th cup plain flour and 1-¼th cup wholewheat flour
- 2 tablespoon flax seeds with 125 ml/1/2 cup warm water optional
- 2-½ teaspoon yeast in ½ cup water +½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ cup oil
- ⅓ cup+ more water to knead into soft dough
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup raisins+currants
- 1 4 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
For the cross buns paste
- ¼ cup Self raising flour
- water for the paste
For the glaze
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Mix the flax seed meal with ½ cup water and keep it aside.
- Add sugar to lukewarm water, mix until it dissolves. Add yeast to sugar water, so that it activates. This will make the mix frothy and activate in 15 minutes.
- Add this yeast and flax seed mix to the flour with salt.
- Start mixing the dough while adding the remaining water.The dough needs to be a little wet and sticky, this will help the buns to rise and come out with a soft texture.
- Knead the dough, this will be sticky at the start, Add oil to remaining ingredients. Keep it aside for 30 minutes to rise.
- Once it has doubled, punch it down,add currants,berries,spice etc and knead it again.
- Divide the flour in 9/16 equal portions, give them a round shape using oiled hands,and arrange them in an oiled baking tray with some space in between the buns.
- Let it rest for 30 minutes. You will see the dough rise and sides might touch each other.
- Preheat the oven at 200 degrees(fan forced) for 10 minutes.
- Make a paste of the flour and water,add it to a piping bag or a plastic bag and trim the tip.
- Bake the buns for 12-15 minutes at 200 degrees,make the cross with the paste,bake further for 8-10 minutes or until the buns sound hollow when knocked on top.
- Mix the ingredients with hot milk(keep it in a ramekin in the oven for few minutes)
- Take out the buns tray and brush the buns with glaze while its still hot.
- Let is rest on a tray for an hour so that it cools down.
Nutrition
More Easter recipes:
Click here for more bread recipes.
Finally, click here for more recipe videos.
Please share your inputs..