Bet Gee's Hot Cross Buns
Basic Brioche Dough
This dough can be made into a brioche scroll, doughnuts, fruit loaf or hot cross buns.
Timing
- Prep 20 mins
- Proofing approx 3 hours, or overnight
- Makes approx. 700 g
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 50 g (1¾ oz) caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 240 ml (8 fl oz) milk
- 10 g (¼ oz) instant dry yeast
- 170 g (6 oz) butter
- 560 g (1 lb 4¼ oz) flour
Method
In your mixer bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and salt.
Pour the milk into a suitable bowl, and heat in your microwave (in short bursts) until lukewarm*. Now add your yeast to the lukewarm milk and whisk to combine. Add the milk and yeast mixture to your mixer bowl and stir to combine.
Use the same bowl you used for the milk to melt your butter in the microwave-this will save on dishes (you’re welcome). Add the melted butter to your mixer bowl and mix to combine. Add half the quantity of flour and whisk by hand to combine.
Now put the dough-hook attachment on your mixer and add the remaining flour to the bowl. Mix on low speed until the flour is combined, then increase to medium speed and leave mixing for about 5 mins. The dough will start to climb up on the dough hook and pull away from the sides of the mixer bowl. (This is one of those instructions where you will just have to trust me and you will be like ‘A-ha!’ when you see it climbing the hook.)
If you’re making this dough for hot cross buns or fruit loaf, now is the time to add the spices, zest and dried fruit. Continue to knead for a further 2 mins until combined.
Transfer the dough to the same bowl you melted the butter in (saving on dishes again!). Cover the dough with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap gently against the dough. Place in the fridge and proof for about 3 hours (or you can leave it overnight).
*I know recipes often say ‘lukewarm’ but what is lukewarm? Who is Luke? This is really random, so I’m gonna try to describe what lukewarm is. Put your finger in your mouth now. Hopefully, your mouth is warm-this is my best description of lukewarm.
Hot Cross Brioche Buns
Timing
- Prep 8 mins (plus dough making)
- Proofing approx. 1 hour
- Baking 30-40 mins
- Makes 9 buns
Ingredients - Buns
- 1 recipe Basic Brioche Dough with the following spice, zest and dried fruit* added (when instructed in the recipe page 31)
- 2 tablespoons mixed spice
- zest of 1 orange
- 80 g (2¾ oz) sultanas
- 80 g (2¾ oz) raisins
Ingredients - Crosses
- 30 g (1 oz) warm water
- 100 g (3½ oz) plain flour
Ingredients - Glaze
- 100 g (3½ oz) caster sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 50 ml (1½ fl oz) boiling water
Method
Prep a deepish 20 cm (8 in) square baking tin with cooking spray and a lining of baking paper on the bottom. Flour your bench generously. Remove your proofed dough from the fridge and knead it on the floured bench a few times until smooth.
Cut the dough into nine evenly sized pieces, using your scales to weigh them to make sure they are the same. Now make a cage with your fingers around each of the pieces of dough in turn, and move your hand in a circular motion with your fingertips just touching the bottom of the dough-this should give you a nice evenly round bun. Place the buns in the tin so that they are just touching. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to proof in a warm area for about an hour or until they double in size.
Meanwhile, prepare the cross mix. Add small amounts of the water to the flour, mixing it in well each time, until the paste is smooth with a slightly runny piping consistency. When it looks about right, put it in a piping bag and snip off the end about 3 mm (⅛ in) from the bottom.
Preheat your oven to 160°C (315°F). Pipe crosses on the risen buns. Bake for 30-40 mins until they’re golden and a knife comes out clean when you stab them buns, hun.
Prepare the glaze by dissolving the sugar and vanilla bean paste in the water. Brush the cooked buns with glaze immediately. Allow to cool slightly in the tin, then move to a cooling rack. Serve warm with BUTTER.
*For a chocolate version, sub the dried fruit for 150 g (5½ oz) chocolate chips.