Next weekend is Easter weekend so I thought I would share my annual recipe for hot cross buns! If you started nursing a sourdough starter over the first lockdown and are keen to try a recipe for sourdough hot cross buns, look no further. The sourdough tang perfectly balances the sweetness of the dried fruit and spices. I put pecan nuts and dried apple in mine, but add whatever dried fruit and nuts (or even chocolate!) you have in the cupboard. If you don’t have a sourdough starter then check out my recent round-up of hot cross bun recipes. To make the sourdough hot cross buns, you will need:
75g active sourdough starter (I feed mine about 12 hours before I want to bake)
210g strong flour
140ml milk, slightly warmed
1 tsp ground mixed spice and 1 tsp cinnamon
20g butter, melted
40g caster sugar.
Mix the ingredients in a stand mixer with a dough hook and knead for 10 minutes until they come together as a dough. Prove overnight, or for at least 12 hours.
In the morning, knock the risen dough back and add the zest of half a lemon, 40g dried apple, sliced into small pieces, and 35g pecan nuts, finely chopped.
Divide the dough into six and form into ball shapes. Set aside to prove until double in size, covered with a damp tea towel.
Preheat the oven to 200C fan. Make the crosses by mixing 50g flour with a tablespoon of water at a time, until you have a thick paste. Pipe crosses onto the top of the buns. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Glaze with warmed golden syrup and cool on a wire rack.
Serve warm with plenty of butter. Are you baking hot cross buns?
