Wholemeal Hot Cross Buns
Wholemeal hot cross buns from scratch.
Ingredients
Serves: 8
- 1 tablespoon dried active baking yeast
- 300ml warm milk (45 C)
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 75g butter, softened
- 475g wholemeal flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 75g currants
- 85g mixed fruit peel
- 5 tablespoons honey
- 125g plain flour
- 125g butter
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons milk
Method
Prep:7hr50min ›
Cook:20min ›
Ready in:8hr10min
- In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over half the warm milk. Let stand until creamy, about 15 minutes.
- In another bowl, mix two eggs and butter into the remaining warm milk.
- Place the wholemeal flour in a mixing bowl and add the salt, nutmeg, currants and mixed peel. Make a well in the centre and put in the yeast mixture, butter and egg mixture, and honey. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes.
- Lightly oil a large mixing bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, make the crosses for the buns: Mix together plain flour and 125g butter to make a pastry. Roll out the pastry and cut in thin strips, set aside.
- Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 16 equal pieces and form into round buns. Place them on lightly greased baking trays.
- Hang the prepared strips of pastry over the buns loosely so that they touch the baking tray on each side. This allows for the expansion of the buns. Preheat the oven to 200 C / Gas mark 7.
- Beat together one egg and 2 tablespoons milk. Brush the buns with this mixture and leave them in a warm place for 20 minutes to rise.
- Place a tray of hot water in the bottom of the oven to make it steamy. This gives the buns a thin, soft crust. Bake the buns in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until they are golden-brown. Cool them on wire racks and serve them split and buttered.
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Reviews & ratings
Average global rating:
(18)
Reviews in English (17)
Used different ingredients. used mixed spice and sultanas instead of currants and made the cross with 110g plain flour and about 3 tablespoons of water - 01 Apr 2010
dough was sticky so had to add more flour to knead but great results. - 01 Apr 2010
I read the previous reviews and added a lot more flour. In fact, I used half wholemeal and half white flour. I added a lot more spice, clove, mixed spice and cinnamon. Mine rose beautifully and the result was picture-perfect buns. I chose to follow a previous reviewer's suggestion of 110g flour and about 4 tbs milk for the cross. Note, these are 'virtuous' buns, with wholemeal and honey, not your supermarket version of a soft doughy white bun. I would definitely add more currants/sultanas next time, and possibly soak them a bit. But still a very good recipe. - 08 Dec 2014