Healthy Hot Cross Buns

It’s officially Easter and I’m fully embracing the fact that I don’t have to work! Usually a Bank Holiday weekend is all work and no play in the catering industry but I’m finding positives in unemployment and plan to make the most of the next four days to be spent with family and friends. And we start the long weekend with healthified hot cross buns.

I actually don’t recall ever having eaten hot cross buns in the past, though I must have done as a youngster. I omitted all refined sugar from this recipe and loaded them instead with warming spices, orange zest and a mix of sultanas and dried cranberries. I planned to use all wholemeal spelt flour but failed to check what I had in before starting so winged it and used a combination of spelt, rye and plain flour.

I recently read about an old Asian technique known as Tangzhong - translation ‘water roux’ – which helps soften and lighten bread dough and is supposed to help keep it fresher for longer. Given that I’ve used heavier flours in this recipe I thought it would be a perfect time to test this method out. 

The perfect Easter weekend breakfast!

Healthy Hot Cross Buns

Makes 12

Don't be alarmed by the long list of ingredients, this is a simple method and uses ingredients you're likely have in your cupboards already

For the water roux

125ml water

30g spelt flour

For the dough

150ml almond milk

7g dried active yeast

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

100g spelt flour

100g dark rye flour

200g plain flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp all spice

½ tsp fresh grated nutmeg

½ tsp salt

45g very soft unsalted butter

60g sultanas*

60g dried cranberries

For the hot cross

60g plain flour

60ml water

For the glaze

½ tbsp coconut sugar

2 tbsp water

1. First make the roux; combine the water and flour in a small saucepan and mix thoroughly over a low heat until it leaves lines in the batter as you mix (if you have a thermometer it should read 65°C).
2. Remove from the heat and add to the bowl of your stand mixer. Add the milk and stir just to combine before adding the yeast and leaving for 5 mins or so – this will reactivate the yeast.
3. Add the vanilla extract, egg, flours, spices, salt, butter and dried fruits; knead on medium speed for 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth – this is an enriched dough so it will remain slightly stick, don’t worry!
4. Cover and leave to prove in a warm spot for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
5. Coax the risen dough onto a work surface dusted liberally with flour, and divide into 12 (I weighed the entire mix first and my buns weighed approximately 75g each).
6. Shape each ball of dough into rounds and place on a lined baking tray set apart slightly, cover with lightly oiled clingfilm and leave to prove again for 30-45mins. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200°C.
7. To make the hot cross batter, mix together the flour and water – it should be thick but still pipeable. Transfer to a piping bag and set aside.
8. Once the buns have puffed up again, pipe crosses onto each and bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 mins, rotating the tray halfway through, until golden and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath.
9. Mix the glaze ingredients together and brush over the buns whilst still hot.

* I always pick over sultanas as sometimes some still have their stalks attached...it takes no time at all and, in my opinion, makes all the difference as biting down on a stalk unexpectedly is rather unappetising!