I have a confession to make up front…I did not bake these hot cross buns. As much as I love baking, I seriously lack the patience for bread making. The proving, the knocking back, the waiting for things to rise…

But oh how I adore hot cross buns. So when my lovely friend Angie from Once Upon a Secret Supper sent me a message on Good Friday to say she had made a batch of fresh spiced hot cross buns with candied lemon, apple, cinnamon and cardamon and could I possibly photograph them…? I was over in a hot second to pick them up camera at the ready. Once photographed, these buns were devoured. They are really good. I am a huge fan of lemon and these buns are tangy and light and absolutely delicious slathered in butter.

We have collectively agreed in this household that the eating of hot cross buns need to extend well beyond Easter. So, even though today marks the last official day of Easter, I am sharing this recipe with you anyway. Make them into buns and add the traditional cross…or just make them into buns and eat them any time of the year with a hot cup of tea mid morning. They would also be the perfect snack for school lunch boxes…for whenever school lunch boxes becomes a thing again (please make that soon!)

Spiced Hot Cross Buns with Candied Lemon and Apple

Recipe by Angie Ma, Once Upon a Secret Supper
Adapted from Gourmet Traveller

“I make hot cross buns every Easter as I have a serious weakness for these fragrant spiced, citrus sweet buns. Hot cross buns take a bit of work and technique but given that most of us are in lockdown or ‘stay at home’ this year, it is a great baking treat to pass the time with the kids. This year I was inspired to add a little twist to my usual recipe by adding candied apple, fresh diced apple, candied lemon and cardamon spice (one of my favourite spices in the world).

That heady scent of cinnamon, spices, candied lemon wafting in the kitchen and seeing your little buns grow and rise is an instant feel good mood changer. My two boys absolutely love hot cross buns and can devour quite a few. My 2 year old insists on calling them hot cross bum bums which makes us laugh. We all need a bit of hot cross bun love and laughter in these tough, unpredictable times. Happy Easter weekend to all!”

Angie Ma x

Notes and Tips

Makes about 20-24 buns

This recipe includes 3 stages of proving to get really fluffy (rather than rock hard) buns. It is worth it.
The dough is super sticky as there is a high volume of milk/butter so best to use a mixer with dough hook.
Use strong bread flour as it has more gluten and will give you that nice springy texture. If you use plain flour it will just be less springy.
This recipe uses instant active yeast so you can just dump it straight into the flour. If you don’t have instant yeast, activate it first in lukewarm milk for 5-10 mins until foamy and then and the melted butter.
If you like more sultanas or more candied peel go ahead and add more, I’ve added apple as the kids love it.
These will keep well in the freezer. To keep them fresh, freeze as soon as cool and bring to room temperature and warm in the oven before eating.
If you can’t be bothered making the simple syrup glaze, just warm up some golden syrup or apricot jam to glaze when the buns are hot out of the oven.
Making hot cross buns does require a bit of technique but give it a go. Practice makes perfect.

INGREDIENTS

Glaze, candied lemon and candied apple

260 gm raw caster sugar
375 ml water
1 cinnamon quill
8 lightly crushed cardamon pods with shell
1 lemon
1 ½ granny smith apple, peeled, cored and diced into small 5mm cubes
½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon (for later)

Bun ingredients

700 gm flour (additional 50g flour if needed)
65 gm raw caster sugar
3 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp allspice
8 cardamon pods crushed into powder (discard shell) or just ¾ tsp ground cardamon
Finely grated rind of 1 orange and 1 lemon
14 gm instant active dry yeast
1 tsp salt
150 gm or ½ cup of sultanas or golden raisins
30 gm or ¼ cup of candied orange peel
Candied lemon peel and apple
1 ½ - 2 granny smith apple, peeled, core and diced into small 5mm cubes

Flour paste for crosses:

50 gm flour
70 ml ice cold water

METHOD

To make candied apple and lemon combine 260 gm sugar, 375 ml water and juice of ½ lemon into a saucepan and stir over med-high heat until sugar dissolves. Meanwhile, cut remaining lemon half into 5mm-thick slices, add to the pan with Granny Smith apple and cinnamon quill. Bring to the simmer, reduce heat to medium and cook until lemon and apple are translucent (20-25 minutes). Strain, reserving fruit and syrup separately. When cool enough to handle, dice lemon, combine with apple and set aside.
Sift dry ingredients into a mixer bowl and combine 700gm flour, 3 1/2 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp allspice, ¾ tsp ground cardamon. Then add 65gm sugar, orange and lemon zest and mix. On opposite sides of the bowl add the 1 tsp salt vs 14gm yeast as if in direct contact the salt can kill the yeast. Combine milk and butter in a small saucepan and warm over low heat until butter melts and mixture is lukewarm and set aside. Turn on the dough hook and add 1 beaten egg with dry ingredients, then add the warm milk/butter mixture slowly (the warm milk will activate the yeast). At low speed combine all ingredients and then turn up to medium speed for 5 mins. Rest for 30 seconds to relax the gluten and then mix for 5 more mins on mid speed before resting again for 30 seconds. Add the candied apple, candied lemon, candied orange peel, sultanas, diced fresh apple and continue mixing on medium speed for another 5-10 mins. You may need to add another 30-50 gm of flour which I did as Singapore is super humid. When the dough starts to stick less to the side of the bowl and start coming together a bit more you are ready to prove. Don’t worry the dough will still be quite sticky but it should be less translucent than before. Use a dough scraper to get the dough into a bigger well oiled bowl and cover with damp tea towel. Rest until double in size (about 30-45 mins)
Knock air out of dough and turn onto well floured surface and knead with well floured hands for about 5 mins. The dough will still be quite sticky don’t worry. As it is a sticky dough either slap the dough down and stretch when kneading or fold over like a present a few times to knead. Scrape any extra bits off hands and tabletop with scraper. Shape into ball and place to prove 2nd time in well oiled bowl and cover with damp cloth. Rest in warm place until doubled in size (30-45 minutes).
Knock back dough again and divide into 2 even sized pieces. Place one piece back in bowl and cover with damp cloth. With the other half divide into 10-12 even pieces or about 70g, and knead and shape into balls. With lightly floured hands and surface flatten into disc and bring in the two opposite corners into middle and repeat with other 2 opposite sides a few times. Knead a few times with palm of hand and then fold 4 corners in again to create a nice tension in the bun, squeeze it together and turn over so smooth side upwards and roll into a nice smooth ball. You know it’s good when you the dough springs back when you poke it with your finger. Arrange dough balls into two concentric circles on a large round or rectangular 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).
Preheat oven to 220C. Combine remaining flour and 70ml 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 shape onto each bun. Bake for 6-8minutes on high 220C to get lovely rise and golden brown colour. You may need to turn the baking sheet around halfway through if your oven heat is uneven. Then reduce oven to 200C and bake until golden brown and buns sound hollow when tapped (5-8minutes).
Meanwhile, take the cardamon seeds out of the pods and grind into powder and combine reserved syrup and ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until syrupy and combined. Brush thickly over hot buns, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.