Eggless Hot Cross Buns Recipe
These eggless hot cross buns are fruity, sweet, and spiced with warm spices. These delicious buns are perfect with a hot cup of your favorite beverage.
Servings 16 hot cross buns
Ingredients
Measuring cup used, 1 Cup = 250 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml
- 500 grams all-purpose flour or strong bread flour
- 2 & 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 & 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
- 85 grams / 6 tbsp butter, softened
- 70 grams sugar, plus 1 teaspoon sugar to activate the yeast
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
- 1/2 tsp ginger powder
- 1/4 tsp clove powder
- 60 grams dried currants
- 60 grams golden raisins
- 30 grams dried cranberries
- 1 tbsp orange or lemon zest
- Milk, as required for brushing the rolls before baking
- Oil spray/2 tsp oil, to grease the bowl the dough and baking sheet
For the cross
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour + 3 tbsp water mixed together to form a smooth paste
For the glaze
- Agave nectar, as required (Refer notes)
Instructions
- Add active dry yeast & one teaspoon sugar to 1/4 cup of lukewarm milk. Leave it in a warm place for about 10-15 minutes or until it is all frothy and bubbly. If the yeast is not frothy and bubbly, it means it is not activated, discard and start over again. Do not proceed without activating the yeast first.
- In the meanwhile, also condition your dried fruit. For that, place the dried fruit in a bowl, add hot water, and let it steep for about 10 minutes. This process softens the dried fruit, which will keep it moist and plump in the final baked buns. Discard the water and used the softened dried fruits.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining 1 & 1/4 cup milk with 6 tablespoons butter and granulated sugar over low heat, stirring, until mixture is warm (105 to115°F), butter is melted, and sugar is dissolved.
- Next, weigh out the flour, add the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove spice powders along with the salt. Whisk to mix well.
- Sift the ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the proofed yeast mixture. Mix on low speed.
- Next, add in the warm milk in a slow stream and continue mixing at low speed. Knead for about 7 minutes on low speed.
- Then add the currants, cranberries, and raisins along with the orange zest. Continue beating until dough is smooth, supple, elastic and tacky, another 3-4 minutes. The dough will be sticky. Do not add any extra flour.
- Dust your work surface with very little flour, knead for another minute. You will know it is done, when the dough springs back when you press it with your fingers. Tuck the edges of the dough towards the center to form a ball.
- Transfer it to a big greased bowl. Spray some oil spray on the dough or apply little oil over the dough. Cover with a clean kitchen napkin, and set aside in a warm place to proof or double in size, approx 1&1/2 to 2 hours, depending on climatic conditions.
- After the dough has risen, deflate it, by punching it down with your fist and transfer to the working surface. Knead again for another 2 minutes, add very little flour if the dough is too sticky.
- Shape the dough in the form of a log, cut the dough with a scraper/dough knife/ regular knife (do not tear it by hand as it will tear the gluten strands) into 15-16 equal portions. You may also make 12 bigger buns instead of 16 medium-sized ones.
- Shape them into buns by tucking the edges underneath towards the centre, roll the dough against your work surface or between your palms to form a smooth round ball.
- Place them in a sufficiently large baking tray greased with oil/lined with parchment paper, spacing each at least 2 inches apart. Cover with a damp kitchen cloth and let it proof for the second time. This will take approximately 30 minutes depending on the weather conditions.
- Prepare the flour paste to make the cross by mixing both the ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Fill it in a piping bag or ziplock bag and snip off one end just before you start piping the cross.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Brush the risen dough balls with milk for a nice golden brown colored crust.
- Then pipe a cross in the centre of the buns with the prepared flour paste.
- Bake for about 20-22 minutes or until they are done and the top is golden brown. The top of the rolls will appear hard as soon as you remove it from the oven. When you tap on it you should be able to hear a hollow sound. Brush the buns with agave nectar as soon as the buns are out of the oven. Serve warm. I baked these in 2 batches.
- These eggless hot cross buns are best served warm, on the day they are baked, as they are soft. The texture tends to get dense as it cools, somewhat like a bagel. If you have leftovers, split the buns in half, toast lightly and slather butter along with some jam if you wish.
- To store - Once the buns are cool completely, transfer to an airtight container up to 2 days.
Notes
- If you do not have a stand mixer, you can mix the contents in a big bowl, mix well and tip out the shaggy dough on your work surface dusted with flour, knead for about 10-12 minutes, add the dried fruits, orange zest, continue kneading for another 2-3 minutes until you have a smooth, supple, elastic and tacky dough. Tuck the edges of the dough towards the center to form a ball and proceed from step 8 onwards.
- If you wish to add an egg, add it after mixing in the milk-butter mixture.
- If you wish to do a sugar glaze- While the bun is baking, bring to boil 3 tbsp sugar with about 1/4 cup water, simmer for 2-3 minutes until it thickens, brush over the buns as soon as they are out of the oven. You can also use diluted honey to glaze the buns.