Hot Cross Buns

Vegan hot cross buns.

It’s that time of year in New Zealand! Supermarket shelves are filling up with our favourite seasonal sweet treat: Hot Cross Buns.

This recipe uses a small amount of sugar to feed the yeast, but the bulk of the sweetness comes from the natural sugars in the dried fruit. Because this is a slightly higher-hydration dough, we’ll use a "slap and fold" technique to knead it.

For an added bonus they're also:

• Dairy-Free

• Egg-Free

• Vegan

Important note on water: You will start with 400ml (1 2/3 cups) of hot water to soak the dried fruit. After soaking, drain the fruit and measure out exactly 350ml (1 1/2 cups) of the leftover liquid to make the dough. Do not use the full 400ml in your dough.

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  Baked bun

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  Ingredients

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  Ingredients

Hot cross bun Ingredients

The Dough

• 500g (3 3/4 cups) High-grade flour (Bread flour)

• 350ml (1 1/2 cups) "Sultana tea" (reserved soaking liquid)

• 150g (1 cup) Sultanas or choice of dried fruit

• 6g (2 tsp) Active dry yeast

• 15g (1 1/4 tbsp) White sugar

• 30g (2 tbsp) Olive oil

• 7g (1 1/4 tsp) Salt

• 1.5 tsp Ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp Mixed spice (or nutmeg)

• Optional: Zest of one orange

The Cross

• 50g (6 tbsp) Flour

• 40–45g (3 tbsp) Water

• 1/2 tsp Oil

Sugar Glaze

• 15g (1 tbsp) Sugar

• 60g (4 tbsp)  Water

The Process

1. Prepare the Sultana Tea

Soak 150g (1 cup) of sultanas in 400ml (1 2/3 cups) of hot water for 10 minutes. Strain the fruit, ensuring you measure out exactly 350ml (1 1/2 cups) of the liquid. This is your "sultana tea." Set the fruit aside.

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  Dried fruit soaking

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  Draining dried fruit

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  measuring/weighing sultana tea

2. Bloom the Yeast

Whisk the yeast, sugar, and spices into the warm sultana tea. Wait 10 minutes for the yeast to bloom; it should look nice and frothy.

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  Spices into sultana tea

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  Yeast into sultana tea

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  Mixing spices and yeast

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  Bloomed yeast in spices

3. Mix and Rest

Combine the tea mixture with the flour, salt, and oil. Mix into a "shaggy ball" and let it rest for 15 minutes. This acts as a mini fermentolyse, allowing the flour to hydrate and the tea flavours to infuse.

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  Bloomed sultana tea with flour, salt ,oil,

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  Mixing

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  Hand mixing dough before rest

4. Slap and Fold

Begin the "slap and fold" kneading technique. Slap the dough down onto the benchtop, then fold it over itself. Repeat for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth. You will feel the dough "tighten" as the gluten develops.

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  Rested dough

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  Slap and folds

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  slap and folds

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  Formed into ball

5. Incorporate the Fruit

Roll the dough out until flat. Pat your soaked sultanas dry with a paper towel and sprinkle them over the dough. Fold the dough over, add more sultanas, and repeat until all the fruit is incorporated. Roll the dough into a neat ball.

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  Drying fruit

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  dough rolled and sultanas being scattered

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  Folding dough and adding sultanas

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  Folding dough and adding sultanas

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  Folding dough and adding sultanas

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  Folding dough and adding sultanas

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  Starting to form dough ball

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  Formed dough ball

6. First Rise

Place the dough in an oiled bowl and let it rise for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.

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  Dough into bowl

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  Unrisen dough

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  First rise

7. Shape the Buns

Turn the dough out and divide it into 12 portions (approx. 85g or 3oz each). Using a cupped hand, roll them into smooth balls on the bench. Try to keep the sultanas tucked inside to prevent the fruit from burning on the surface.

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  Setting up

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  Measuring

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  Forming dough balls

8. Second Rise

Place the buns in a baking tray. Cover and leave to rise until they are touching each other. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F).

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  Into baking tray

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  12 buns

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  Second rise

9. The Cross

Mix the flour, water, and oil to create a thick paste. Start with 40g (2 1/2 tbsp) of water and add a tiny bit more only if needed; it should be thick but easy to pipe. Pipe slow, steady lines over the buns to form the crosses.

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  Flour

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  Water

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  Oil

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  Mixture

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  Piping lines

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  Piping lines

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  Piping lines

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  fininshed piped lines

10. Bake and Glaze

Bake for 15–18 minutes. The internal temperature should be around 85°C (185°F). Avoid overbaking, as this will dry the buns out. While they bake, heat the sugar and water together until the sugar dissolves. Brush the glaze over the buns immediately after taking them out of the oven.

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  Out of the oven

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  Sugar glaze

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  Finished sugar glaze

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  Finished bun

Variations

• Fruit: Replace sultanas with dried cranberries, chopped apricots, or currants. Always soak and squeeze dried fruit first to prevent it from absorbing moisture from the dough.

• Chocolate Chip: Use 100–120g (3/4 cup) of dark chocolate chips. Do not soak these. Add them at the same stage as the fruit and use plain warm water instead of sultana tea.

• Traditional: Add 30g (2 tbsp) of candied mixed peel along with your fruit for a classic flavour.

All finished!

I hope you enjoy your hot cross buns. Remember to share and tag me @jaclynm.studio on instagram with your finished creations.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/9e7974_103f336b5d74401ebd0376a1e77e638c/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Hot cross buns- The process

#jaclynmstudio #