Gourmet Traveller’s sour-cherry hot cross bun recipe
01.04.22
This version of the hot cross bun is a refreshing take on an Easter favourite.
45 MINS PREPARATION // 20 MINS COOKING PLUS PROVING, COOLING // SERVES 18
INGREDIENTS
200gm dried sour cherries (see note)
65gm raw caster sugar
14gm (2 sachets) dried yeast
1½ tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
Finely grated rind of 1 orange and 1 lemon
845gm plain flour
420ml milk
100gm butter, coarsely chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ tsp sunflower oil
To serve: butter or chocolate hazelnut spread
Spice glaze
50gm caster sugar
½ tsp mixed spice
METHOD
1 Combine cherries, sugar, yeast, spices, rinds, 770gm flour and 1 tsp salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix on low speed to combine. Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan over low heat until butter melts, set aside to cool slightly, then add egg and whisk. Add milk mixture to flour mixture and knead until smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes; dough will be quite soft). Place in a lightly buttered bowl, cover and stand in a warm place until doubled in size (50 minutes to 1 hour).
2 Knock back dough, divide into 18 even pieces, then roll each piece into a smooth ball. Arrange dough balls in concentric circles on a large baking tray lined with baking paper, leaving 1cm between each for dough to expand. Cover with a tea towel and stand in a warm place until doubled in size (30-40 minutes).
3 Preheat oven to 220°C. Combine remaining flour, sunflower oil and 60ml cold water in a bowl and stir to a smooth paste. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a small plain nozzle and pipe a cross on each bun. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce oven to 200°C and bake until buns are golden and sound hollow when tapped (8-10 minutes). Set aside to cool.
4 For spice glaze, stir sugar, spice and 50ml water in a small saucepan over medium heat to dissolve sugar, bring to the simmer, then set aside to cool. Brush glaze over buns and serve buns warm or at room temperature with butter or chocolate hazelnut spread. Hot cross buns are best eaten on the day of making.
Note: Dried sour cherries are available from select delicatessens.
Recipe and image: Gourmet Traveller magazine
The following two tabs change content below.
Consumer Marketing
Latest posts by Consumer Marketing (see all)
- The Spice Issue - July 12, 2022
- Winter dining destinations - July 12, 2022
- Gourmet Traveller’s harissa roast lamb recipe - July 12, 2022
Popular Articles
06.12.17
A Guide to Sydney’s Cultural Food Suburbs
Sprawling Sydney is home to many diverse suburban pockets where specific cultural communities thrive. Food plays a big part in these hubs – a stroll th...
07.09.17
Edible seaweed guide
With its complexity in flavour and texture, seaweed is the culinary trend taking diners' palates to another dimension, here's a guide to some of what you m...
14.12.17
A Guide to Melbourne’s Cultural Food Hubs
Melbourne is one of Australia’s most culturally diverse cities. In fact, a quarter of its 4.3 million inhabitants were born overseas.This rich mult...
