In both South Africa and the UK, hot cross buns are being sold year-round now… so how do you make them special for Easter in that case? This recipe ups the stakes by making darker, richer breads with the inclusion of dates and chocolate.
Prep time 30 minutes/Cook time 30 minutes/Makes 12 (plus rising time)
Ingredients:
For the bread mix:
480g (4 cups) bread flour
2 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
4 tbsp tablespoon dry milk powder
1 3/4 teaspoons fine sea +salt
3 tsp active dry yeast
For the hot cross buns:
50g (2 oz) soft butter, in pieces
100g (3 ½ oz) light brown soft sugar
3 tsp ground mixed spice
250g (9 oz) pitted prunes, chopped
100g (3 ½ oz) chopped mixed peel
250ml (1 cup) warm (not hot) milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
100g (3 ½ oz) dark chocolate, chopped
For the crosses and glaze:
3 tbsp plain flour
75g (3 oz) caster sugar
Method:
For the bread mix, simply combine all the ingredients together (note this can be made in advance and stored in a jar for up to a month).
Turn the bread mix into a large mixing bowl, add the butter and rub it in using your fingers. Then stir in the sugar, mixed spice, prunes and mixed peel.
Form a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, then pour in the warm milk and beaten egg. Add the chocolate and, using a large spoon at first, then your hands, bring the mixture together to form a dough.
Knead the dough by hand for 10 minutes in the bowl, dusting with a little flour if the dough is too sticky.
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and place these in a greased 20 x 20cm (8 x 8 in) tin lined with baking paper. Cover with a damp cloth and leave the buns in a warm place to rise for 2 hours until springy to the touch.
Pre-heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan 435F/gas mark 7). For the crosses, mix the flour with 3 tablespoons of cold water to make a paste, transfer it to a piping bag and pipe across the length and width of each bun to form a cross. Transfer the buns to the pre-heated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.
For the glaze, gently heat the sugar and 3 tbsp of water together in a small pan until the sugar has dissolved. Transfer the cooked buns to a wire cooling rack and brush with the glaze; set aside to cool.
