INGREDIENTS
HOT CROSS BUNS
500g / 4 cups wheat flour* (I used 50% bread flour and 50% all purpose)
½ tsp salt
7 g / 2¼ tsp instant dried yeast
75 g / 6 tbsp caster sugar or coconut sugar
approx. 3 tsp spices: 1½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ginger, ½ tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp cardamom, ¼ tsp cloves zest of 1-2 oranges (2 if you like a prominent citrus flavour) 100 g / ¾ cup sultanas soaked in 60 ml / ¼ cup liquid*
100 g / ½ cup finely chopped stem ginger syrup or dried apricots
60 g / ¼ cup applesauce
50 g / ¼ cup coconut oil (or other neutral oil) or vegan butter, melted
240 ml / 1 cup plant milk, warm
METHOD
Mix the flour, salt, yeast, sugar, spices and orange zest in a large mixing bowl.
Next, add in sultanas and their soaking liquid and finely chopped stem ginger. Mix well into the dry ingredients, breaking up any stuck together ginger pieces with a wooden spoon.
Make a well in the centre, add room temperature applesauce and melted (and cooled off) coconut oil and most of the warm plant milk – hold about ¼ of it back as not all of it may be needed. Mix all three liquid ingredients in the centre roughly and then mix them into the dry ingredients using a wooden spoon. Switch to using your hands to bring the dough together, if the dough is too dry, trickle in more plant milk. The dough should feel a little sticky/tacky – higher level of dough hydration gives your buns a better rise so resist the temptation to add extra flour.
Transfer the dough to the workbench and knead it for until elastic and smooth (it may take 10 minutes or more, depending on how good your kneading technique is).
Shape into a ball and place in a large mixing bowl, coat in a thin layer of olive oil and cover the bowl with a tea towel. Leave it in a warm place (but not too warm – IE not next to an open fire!) for between one and two hours (until it has doubled in size).
Empty the dough out on to a work surface and push the air out with your fingertips.
Split the dough into twelve equal parts – best to use kitchen scales here.
Shape each portion of the dough into a ball by pinching the dough so that the seam is at the bottom.
Pre-heat the oven to 220° C / 425° F. Lay the buns on a paper lined baking tray in a 3×4 grid so that they just touch each other (they will merge with each other as they expand during proving). Cover with cling film and leave another 60 minutes for another proofing.
While the buns are proofing for the second time, mix flour and a little water (about 60 ml / ¼ cup) in a small bowl until you have a flour paste that runs off your spoon but only just, you don’t want it too runny as the crosses won’t stay on the buns.
Just before the buns are ready for baking, put the flour paste in a piping bag and pipe crosses on top of of the buns.
Place the buns in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the buns are golden. You may need to rotate the tray after 15 minutes if your oven has visible hotspots.
