Hot Cross Buns

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It’s not Easter without fresh, toasty warm Hot cross Buns right? Well these gluten free favourites are best served with lashings of butter. Oh and by the way… noice buns!

Gluten Free · Nut Free · Egg Free

Makes 9 buns · 20 cm square x 7 cm high cake tin

Ingredients

Dry mix

150g Anything But Ordinary Plain Flour (+ 10g for flouring hands)

150g cornflour

3 teaspoons mixed spice

1½ teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon salt

15g psyllium husk powder

80g coconut sugar

130g sultanas

50g currants

Dry mix

150mls milk

75g natural yoghurt

2 teaspoons coconut sugar

2 teaspoons yeast

3 teaspoons soy lecithin granules in 1 tablespoon water

1 level teaspoon flaxmeal

180mls hot water (110°F/43°C) - divided

40mls rice bran oil

Crosses

25g Anything But Ordinary Plain Flour

50mls water

½ teaspoon sugar

Glaze

1½ tablespoons sugar

1½ tablespoons water

Method

Line a 20cm square x 7cm high cake tin with baking paper.

Mix the soy lecithin granules in a tablespoon water and set aside to dissolve. Generally takes 30 minutes.

Put 10g of Anything But Ordinary Plain Flour in a bowl and set aside.

In the large bowl of a stand mixer sieve the Anything But Ordinary Plain Flour, cornflour, mixed spice, cinnamon, allspice, salt and psyllium husk powder. Add the sugar and whisk together.

Weigh the sultanas and currants and set aside.

Heat the milk til hot (110°F/43°C) and pour into a bowl. Add the yoghurt and sugar and whisk together. Add the yeast and whisk.

Whisk the flaxmeal and 100mls hot water then whisk into the yeast mixture. Pour into the flour mix.

Whisk the dissolved soy lecithin and remaining 80mls hot water til frothy and pour into the flour mix. Lastly add the oil.

With beaters on low speed, mix while scraping down sides of bowl to incorporate all the flour. Increase to medium speed and beat for 3 minutes.

Reduce to low speed and tip in sultanas and currants beating just long enough to mix them in. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters and with a firm spatula bring the mix into one big chunk of dough. It will be a little sticky.

Using the flour set aside to coat your hands roll nine balls weighing 118g each. The best way to do this is using the spatula and a knife to scoop the amount to weigh, then flouring your hands each time before you roll the dough ball

. If you use your hands to scoop out the quantity of dough you will likely just end up with a sticky mess on your fingers. Place each ball into the prepared tin forming three rows.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and a tea towel and let rise in a warm place for an hour.

For the crosses mix Anything But Ordinary Plain Flour, water and sugar til smooth. Put into a piping bag with thin round nozzle or small plastic bag with the corner cut off.

Pipe crosses on the risen buns, cover again and let rise for another 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 190°C.

To prepare the glaze, in a small saucepan mix the sugar and water on low heat to dissolve then turn off when it reaches a simmer. Set aside.

Uncover the proofed buns and bake, rotating them half way, for 45minutes, until browned and sounding hollow when tapped.

If the fruit appears to be burning cover with foil.

A thermometer inserted in the cooked buns should read about 200°C when ready.

Remove from tin onto a rack and brush the tops thickly with glaze. Leave to cool.

Best eaten fresh with butter but can be split and toasted or wrapped in foil and reheated in the oven for 10 minutes.

Keep for up to two days well wrapped in the fridge or freeze for a couple of weeks.

Notes

When lining the tin, It’s best to do this in two strips with one on the bottom, bringing it up and folding over the sides and the other strip over this to do the same with the remaining two sides.

it may be helpful to weigh the liquids to attain a more consistent result - a straight swap from mls to gms for the milk and water.

Also proof the buns by putting a small baking tray in the microwave with a rack on top and filled the tray with boiling water three quarters full. Sit the covered buns on this and put the timer on for an hour, take out and pipe the crosses on then refill the tray with boiling water and put timer on for 30 minutes. Works really well. You just need to wipe out the microwave after as the steam will have left puddles.

Happy Baking!