Hot Cross Bundts ~ #BundtBakers

The theme for #BundtBakers this month is Yeasted Bundts. We were challenged to bake a bundt with yeast as the leavening agent, and our bundt could be sweet or savory.

Hot Cross Buns

After years of telling myself that I am going to try and make them and my irrational fear of yeast, I finally attempted Hot Cross Buns.  Why, oh why did I wait so long to attempt this?  They are one of the best things I have ever tasted and I am sure that they will become a regular fixture now that I have seen the light.

Crossed and ready to be made hot

I am pretty traditional with my preferences for Hot Cross Buns.  I have seen some in stores here that have lemon or raspberry crosses, and were so spice-less that I couldn't bring myself to buy them.  I know that in Australia you can buy chocolate buns (both milk and dark), fruitless buns, chocolate chip buns, and white chocolate and cranberry buns, and even gluten-free buns.  It has always been the original spicy fruit buns that are my favorite.  One of the best tastes ever is a lightly toasted hot cross bun with a drizzle of honey on top.

My search for a recipe led me in so many different directions. Apparently there isn't just one correct way to make a hot cross bun, there are thousands.  I finally settled on a combination of two recipes that had exactly what I was looking for - a recipe that made about a dozen buns and a recipe that had lots of spice to it.  This hybrid recipe was just right, and produced a fruity, spicy, dense hot cross bun.

Now I have finally made the plunge into the world of yeast breads I see many more attempts in the future.


Hot Cross Buns
Printer Friendly Recipe

Ingredients

• 310ml warmed milk
• 60g superfine sugar
• 14g dried yeast
• 650g bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons mixed spice (or allspice)
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 60g butter, softened
• 375g of raisins/currants/golden raisins/mixed candied fruit (I used mixed fruit from Australia)
• 2 eggs
• 60g all-purpose flour
• 60ml water
• 2 tablespoons apricot jam, warmed in a pan (or microwave)

Instructions

1. In a saucepan warm the milk; whisk in the sugar and yeast until sugar has dissolved. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes or until it becomes frothy.
2. Mix the bread flour, salt and ground spices in a large bowl of a stand mixer. With your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until mixed and crumbly.
3. Stir in the raisins/sultanas, egg, and frothy yeast mixture until just combined.
4. Attach the dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
5. Lightly oil another large, clean bowl, place the dough in and turn to coat the surface with oil.
6. Cover in clingwrap and leave in a warm, draught-free place for 45 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
7. When ready, remove the clingwrap and use your fist to punch down the dough. Transfer to a lightly floured board and give it a quick knead until smooth and divide into 12 rounds.
8. Place the buns into a greased 20 x 30cm (8x12-inch) baking tray, cover with clingwrap and leave in warm place to rise for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C (395℉).
9. Whisk together the all-purpose flour and water to a smooth paste. Pipe crosses on top of the buns and bake at 200°C (395℉) for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 180°C (350℉) bake for a further 15 minutes. Buns are ready when it sounds hollow when you tap the tops.
10. Brush with warmed apricot jam while the buns are still warm.

Recipe adapted by All That's Left Are The Crumbs from recipes by Citrus and Candy and Short Street Bakery ©.

To Try Tuesday - Hot Cross Bun Muffins

I am a little late again with getting my Tuesday recipe up online but I have a good excuse.  I am currently in Australia and feeling a little jet-lagged. I tried my best to get a few posts prepped and ready to go before I left, but unfortunately I just ran out of time.  Thank goodness the baking was done, and the photos taken, so now all I have to do if match the two together in a post.

I really wanted to make some Hot Cross Buns but I saw this recipe and thought it would make a great alternative.  I decided to use raisins rather than currants, and I think that you could substitute any dried fruit that you preferred.  I also added some European mixed peel that I had purchased from King Arthur Flour.  Mixed peel (also known as candied peel) is made by steeping the chopped peel of oranges, lemons, and citron in a sugar solution for a few weeks and then draining off any remaining water.

This recipe came from an Australian magazine, therefore it is in metric.  I would usually convert the measurements before putting it up on my bog, but I just did not have the time to do so this time.  Hopefully everyone has a scale and can flip the switch over to metric measurements.

Somehow I managed to over-mix mine just a little bit.  I guess I forgot the cardinal rule when making muffins - mix only until a few streaks of flour are left.  I should have paid more attention to the fact that I needed to add the fruit as well, which resulted in even more mixing.  That being said, the muffins still had a wonderful flavor that really did remind me of the spiciness of a hot cross bun.

Hot Cross Bun Muffins

(Printer Friendly Recipe)
 
Ingredients

• 100g dried cranberries
• 150g currants (I used raisins)
• 60g mixed peel (from King Arthur Flour)
• 375g self-rising flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg 
• 165ml vegetable oil
• 250ml buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 200g sugar, plus extra 2 tablespoons
• 80g powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Preparation 

1. Preheat oven to 390°F.
2. Line a 12-hole muffin pan with paper liners.
3. Soak dried fruit in just enough boiling water to cover for 10 minutes.
4. Drain well, then pat dry with paper towel.
5. Sift the flour, baking soda, and spices into a large bowl.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, and sugar until combined.
7. Add to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. 
8. Gently stir in the fruit.
9. Divide the mixture among muffin liners, then bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
10. Cool completely on a wire rack. 
11. Meanwhile, place the extra 2 tbs sugar in a pan with 2 tbs water and simmer over low heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Brush the glaze over the muffins. 
12. Sift powdered sugar into a bowl. Add lemon juice and just enough hot water to make a thick, pipable icing. Use a piping bag or drizzle from a spoon to draw a cross on each muffin, then serve.
    
13. Makes 12.

Source delicious magazine (April 2010 - recipe by Kylie Walker)