Hot Cross Buns
I have been using the basic dough from which these buns are made for over 30 years and I have still to find one better, the key to using this dough is that once it has been molded and had a good second prove it must be baked straight away, as it can over prove on the tray and produce an inferior lift and texture, the key is to be prepared have your oven ready. it is well worth perfecting this recipe as it will prove to be reliable and produce the buns and doughnuts with the best texture, colour and flavour you will find, it is simple to make and you just have to become familiar with the proving and handling properties. This batch of dough is being mixed in a spiral action mixer, these mixers are less common on ship but are excellent machines, unlike the more common planetary action mixers where the mixing bowl remains static, the bowl on this machine revolves and the hook turns in a fixed position. Spiral action mixers are limited to making doughs only, the hook and the bowl is fixed and can’t be removed, cleaning of the bowl and hook is carried out in there fixed position, but doughs by nature come clean away from the sides of the bowl and hook so minimum cleaning is required.
Servings Prep Time
48Buns 2hours
Cook Time
10Minutes
Servings Prep Time
48Buns 2hours
Cook Time
10Minutes
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Mix the Flour, Dried Yeast, Sugar, Mixed Spice and improver in a the mixing bowl fitted with dough hook until thoroughly mixed, ensuring you scape down a couple of times during the mixing.
  2. Rub the Butter into the dry mix, again scraping down periodically to ensure a good even mix.
  3. Mix the water and eggs together in a bowl and add to the dry in the machine bowl and mix.
  4. Mix the dough until smooth and elastic and comes away from the bowl, this will take about 15 minutes on medium speed
  5. Add all the dried fruit and peel to the bowl and mix for a few moments until the fruit is evenly mixed in the dough.
  6. Remove the dough from the mixing machine.
  7. Place the dough in a lightly greased container and cover with a damp cloth or better still place the dough in an oiled plastic bag as I have here, using a plastic bag accelerates the proving of dough.
  8. When the dough has increase in volume by about 25% to 50% remove the dough from the bowl or plastic bag knock back and scale to size.
  9. Roll the bun dough into balls and place on a greased tray ensuring your buns are all in straight rows and evenly spaced on the trays, the position of the buns is important so that we can pipe the crosses on later before they go into the oven, but for now cover the buns with oiled plastic (cut the plastic bag you proved the dough in) and place in a warm area until doubled in size.
  10. While the buns are prooving on the tray take a little flour in a small bowl and add some milk to make a smooth liquid batter suitable for piping, pour the batter into a greaseproof bag, and leave sanding by.
  11. When the buns have proved and doubled in size carefully pipe the batter over the buns making the cross’s, piping lines right across and down the trays.
  12. Bake at 175C for 10 minutes on dry heat.
  13. While the Buns are baking make the bun wash, see bun wash recipe.
  14. Remove your baked buns from the oven and glaze with the bun wash immediately whilst still hot, after 5 minutes place the buns on cooling wires and allow to cool.

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