Recipe: Who Says Hot Cross Buns Are Just for Easter?

Whoever decided hot cross buns could only be enjoyed at Easter, had another thing coming. And while store-bought always does the trick to curb our cravings, there’s not much better than indulging in a fresh bun, straight from the oven when the chocolate stash runs dry. *Wipes away drool.*

We feel for our gluten-free friends though so to ensure no one misses out this long weekend (and beyond), our wonderful friends over at the much-loved Nodo have given us their hot cross buns recipe so you can indulge in their famous treats wherever you are! Full disclosure: you won’t be able to eat just one.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 10

500g (3 1/4 cups) Nodo plain flour

40g (1/4 cup) Rapadura sugar

10g (2 tsp) xanthan gum

5g (1 tsp) salt

1 tbsp yeast

1 tbsp psyllium

400ml (1.5 cups) milk

100ml (1/2 cup) water

1 large egg

70g (1/3 cup) butter

1 tbsp cinnamon

2 tsp all spice

2 tsp ginger

260g soaked dried fruit (we love dried blueberries!)

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 185 degrees celsius.

Activate the yeast by mixing the yeast and warm milk together in a small bowl.

In a separate bowl, soak the psyllium in the water and set aside to thicken.

Weigh the flour, xanthan gum, sugar and salt, adding them to a large bowl and mixing slightly.

Once the yeast and psyllium have thickened, add them to a kitchen aid with the dry ingredients, also combining the soft butter and egg.

Fit the mixer with a hook attachment, and mix the ingredients on first speed for three minutes.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and ensure there are no dry ingredients at the bottom of the bowl. Mix further on second speed for three to four minutes.

Add the spices and mix the dough for another three to four minutes.

Scrape the sides once more, adding in the soaked blueberries, including any juice.

Mix the dough on first speed until the fruit has dispersed properly.

Remove from the bowl and transfer to a lightly greased baking tray.

Allow the dough to rest in the fridge for an hour at least – the longer the better.

Transfer the rested dough onto a lightly floured bench (we use rice flour here).

Cut and shape the dough – into portions of roughly 75g.

Place portions onto a greased baking tray, crossing the buns with the crossing mix (see recipe below).

Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.

Coat with glazing mix to finish (recipe below).

CROSS MIXTURE

Ingredients

1/2 cup Nodo plain flour

4-5 tbsp water

Method

Mix flour and water together until you reach a smooth consistency. Place mixture into a piping bag and pipe onto hot cross buns.

GLAZE

Ingredients

1/3 cup hot water

2 tbsp sugar

Method

Add both ingredients together and stir until sugar has dissolved then brush over the freshly baked hot cross buns.

CHOCOLATE HOT CROSS BUN VERSION

Simply replace 85g flour with cocoa, replace the dried fruit with chocolate chips and replace ginger with cardamon. Yum!

A big thanks to our friends at Nodo for this amazing recipe!