These tips and tricks will make sure your sweet buns full of spice and peel turn out perfectly.
For accuracy and consistency, try to use a recipe that works with weights over cup measurements.
A little spritz with water before going into the oven moistens the crust of the buns and helps them rise more when baking, which gives you a fluffier bun. Open the oven door after the first 10 minutes to let the steam escape then continue to bake as normal.
Simply simmer together some apricot jam or zesty marmalade with a splash of water for the perfect Hot Cross Bun glaze. Brush the glaze over the buns as soon as they come out of the oven.
You might not be able to cuddle your friends but your Hot Cross Buns can! Place them close together in the tray when proving and baking so they swell together and you need to pull them apart when baked. This keeps them moist and fluffy!
Knead in your fruit after your first prove, if it stays in the dough too long the fruit can break down and become mushy.
A high quality, heavy, baking pan will always yield better results than a thin, cheap pan. Go for an anodised steel pan that is plain silver, not black or non-stick coating. Silver coloured pans will bake your buns better than a dark colour pan. We recommend our Fat Daddios rectangle pans.
Follow the recipe to the letter but when it comes to fruit inclusions you can use a little artistic license. Not a fan of mixed peel? Leave it out! Prefer dates or chocolate chips to raisins? Give it a swap!
While instant dried yeast doesn't need to be activated, if you have dried active yeast (and it's been in the cupboard a while) it can pay to do a quick test to see if the yeast is still 'active'. Simply mix it with some lukewarm water and leave for a few minutes, if it gets all frothy it's alive and good to go!
For the easiest way to roll perfectly round buns place a plastic cup over the dough and move the cup around in circles until you have a perfect little bun.
Make sure your spices are fresh and fragrant and that you use high quality bakers flour, butter and eggs.
Everyone needs a go to Hot Cross Bun recipe of their own. Of course everyone has something different that makes a Hot Cross Bun perfect to them. So to help you on your way to finding that perfect recipe we will refer you to the experts at The Gourmet Traveller, who have a list of the seven best Hot Cross Bun recipes to try. If you're worried that will be too many Hot Cross Buns to make...we're always here to help you eat them. Refer to our Contact Us page for opening hours and address ;)
Got a sourdough starter and what to branch out from bread? Use this sourdough Hot Cross Bun recipe by FarmerFi in Tasmania. Unlike so many sourdough recipes that have too much scientific fluff and many complicated steps, this recipe is easy to follow, with timings and steps listed out for you, and the finished products are DELICIOUS!
Happy baking!