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Bread

Sourdough Hot Cross Buns

Name: Sourdough Hot Cross Buns
Prep time: 5 h
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 3 ⅓ cups (500g) bread and pizza flour (strong flour); 100g each sultanas and currants; 1 Earl Grey tea bag; 2½ tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp ground nutmeg; ½ tsp each ground allspice and ground cloves; Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange; 100g Chelsea Caster Sugar; butter, to serve; Yeast ferment; 65g bread and pizza flour (strong flour); ¼ tsp Edmonds Instant Dry Yeast; Piping mixture; ⅓ cup (50g) bread and pizza flour (strong flour); ½ tbs Chelsea Caster Sugar

Preparation

5 hours

Bake

30 mins

Difficulty

Moderate

Servings

The smell of these freshly baked hot cross buns being pulled out of the oven is heavenly! These sourdough style hot cross buns take the classic Easter treat to the next level with a tangy, airy texture. Filled with warm spices and studded with currants or raisins, these buns are topped with a sweet, signature cross. Perfectly soft, with a hint of sourdough flavour, they’re an irresistible twist on a traditional favourite.

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Ingredients
Method

Ingredients

3 ⅓ cups (500g) bread and pizza flour (strong flour)
100g each sultanas and currants
1 Earl Grey tea bag
2½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp each ground allspice and ground cloves
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
100g Chelsea Caster Sugar
butter, to serve

Yeast ferment

65g bread and pizza flour (strong flour)
¼ tsp Edmonds Instant Dry Yeast

Piping mixture

⅓ cup (50g) bread and pizza flour (strong flour)
½ tbs Chelsea Caster Sugar

Chelsea Products in Recipe

Caster Sugar

The fine crystal of Chelsea...

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I Know Sourdough, And This Aint It

These are not sourdough hot cross buns!

Method

For the yeast ferment, combine the flour, Edmonds Instant Dry Yeast and 21/2 tbs warm water in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside overnight to ferment.

The next day, to make buns, gradually combine flour with 370ml lukewarm water in a bowl. Slowly add to yeast ferment and combine. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes to rest. Add 21/2 tsp fine salt and gently knead in the bowl until salt is incorporated. Cover and set aside for a further 30 minutes to rest. Working in the bowl, slightly stretch out one quarter of the dough and fold towards the middle, then take opposite side and fold into the middle. Turn bowl 90 degrees and repeat with remaining sides to complete a total of four folds. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for a further 30 minutes. Repeat folding and resting process twice more.

Meanwhile, place dried fruit, tea bag and 200ml boiling water in a bowl. Set aside for 2 hours or until fruit is plump. Remove tea bag and drain fruit well, discarding liquid.

Add spices, zest and fruit to the dough and knead until evenly distributed. Cover bowl and set aside to rest in a warm place for 2-3 hours until risen by one-third. Turn out dough onto a floured work surface.

Knead for 1 minute, then divide into 12 equal pieces (about 110g each). Use your hand to roll each piece on the work surface to form a round bun. Place buns close together on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cover tray with a clean tea towel and refrigerate overnight to ferment.

The next day, remove buns from fridge. Stand at room temperature for 1 hour or until slightly risen and soft to the touch.

Meanwhile, place Chelsea Caster Sugar and 2 tbs water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until dissolved, then boil, without stirring, for 3-4 minutes until a golden caramel. Remove from heat, then carefully stir in strained orange juice. Set aside to cool.

For the piping mixture, place the flour, Chelsea Caster Sugar and 50ml water in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a plain small nozzle and pipe lines horizontally across the buns, then vertically, until each is decorated with a cross.

Preheat oven to 220°C. Splash a little water into the oven to create steam (this helps buns expand before forming a crust), then bake for 10 minutes or until slightly risen. Reduce oven to 200°C and bake for a further 7-10 minutes until dark golden. Remove from oven, then slide the baking paper and buns onto a wire rack.

Brush hot cross buns with glaze and serve warm with Tararua Butter.