Hot Cross Buns Recipe

HOT CROSS BUNS

Enjoy these delicious Hot Cross Buns this Easter weekend - or whenever you please!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 2 packets or 10 g active dry yeast
• ½ cup cane sugar
• 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups light spelt flour
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼  tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ½ cup dried cranberries (rehydrated)
• 1 tsp lemon zest

Flour mix:

• 1/3 cup light spelt flour
• 1/3 cup water

Method:

In a bowl, combine the milk, yeast, and a pinch of sugar. Stir together then allow to sit, without stirring, for 20 minutes. Whisk in the melted butter, egg yolk and vanilla into. In a larger bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger and whisk to combine. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the yeast mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is a thick, shaggy dough. Stir in cranberries.

Turn the dough onto a heavily floured surface and knead until the dough is soft and elastic 8 to 10 minutes. Shape the dough into a large ball.

Grease the inside of the large bowl with butter and put the dough in. Cover with a damp towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1½ hours. Butter a 9”-x-13” baking pan

Once the dough has doubled it is time to form into rolls. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat it into a large rectangle. Divide the dough into 12 portions with a sharp knife.

Shape each piece into a roll, tucking the edges under, and place each roll seam-side-down into the buttered pan. Score the tops with a cross using a sharp paring knife. Cover with a warm damp towel and allow to rise in a warm place until the rolls have doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Preheat your oven to 375F and move a rack to the middle of the oven.

After the second rise brush tops of buns with egg wash and pipe some flour and water mix into the cross marks. Bake until golden and puffy, 22 to 25 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly and serve warm.