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Hot Cross Buns with a Maple Glaze

Hot Cross Buns Ren Behan

Hot Cross Buns, traditionally eaten on Good Friday are an Easter staple. They are fairly straight-forward to make and are well worth having a go at as they’ll be much tastier than a supermarket version. These have the added bonus of another Easter staple – chocolate!

I have also topped my buns with a delicious maple glaze and of course the obligatory cross over the top which is made with a mixture of flour and water.

A couple of tips:

  1. Yeast does not like hot liquid, so make sure that the milk and butter mixture has cooled back to room temperature before adding to the dry ingredients
  2. Adding the chocolate chunks in after the first prove will help to keep them from melting.

Hot Cross Buns Ren Behan

Hot Cross Buns Ren Behan

Hot Cross Buns with Chocolate Chunks and Toffee Glaze

Ren Behan
Hot cross buns just got better. Try my modern, tasty version, with cinnamon and dried fruit, as well as chocolate chunks and a delicious toffee glaze to finish them off perfectly.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Inactive Time 49 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 34 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine British
Servings 12 buns

Ingredients
  

Ingredients:

  • 50 g unsalted butter
  • 200 ml whole milk at room temperature
  • 500 g strong white flour plus a little extra for the board
  • 7 g fast-action dried yeast + 1 tsp sugar
  • 50 g caster sugar
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 75 g mixed peel
  • 75 g sultanas
  • Zest of one orange
  • 2 eggs one to glaze the buns
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean extract or powder
  • A pinch of sea salt
  • A little vegetable oil to grease the proving bowl and tray
  • 100 g chocolate chunks

For the crosses

  • 100 g plain flour
  • 2-3 tablespoons water

For the toffee glaze

  • 55 g unsalted butter
  • 125 g light Muscovado sugar
  • 2 tbsp golden syrup

Instructions
 

  • 1. Melt the butter and leave to cool, then pour the butter into the milk and set to one side to cool.
  • 2. Tip the yeast into a small bowl. Add a tablespoon of cold water and a teaspoon of sugar. Mix and leave to froth.
  • 3. Sift the flour into a bowl, add the frothy yeast, caster sugar, cinnamon, mixed peel, sultanas, orange zest, one beaten egg, the vanilla and a pinch of sea salt.
  • 4. Using a fork, stir the ingredients to combine them, then slowly add the cooled melted butter and milk mixture. The butter and milk mixture should not be hot, otherwise it will kill the yeast. Bring together using your hands until a ball of dough forms. Add a little extra milk if the dough seems dry.
  • 5. On a floured board, knead the dough for five minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Grease a large bowl with a little oil and place the ball of dough into the bowl, covering with cling film. Leave the dough to prove in a warm place for 60 minutes.
  • 6. After 60 minutes, the dough should have doubled in size. Tip it out onto a floured board and punch the dough back to knock out any excess air. Tip the chocolate chunks onto the dough and work them in, kneading slightly again for about a minute.
  • 7. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and roll each ball into a bun shape, flattening it slightly. Lightly grease a large baking tray with oil and then lay the buns in the tray. They should be almost touching. Cover with a cloth and leave them to prove again for 30 minutes.
  • 8. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 8.
  • 9. To make the crosses, mix the plain flour with water and bring it together to form a dough. Knead until smooth then roll out onto a floured board. Using a knife, cut 12 long strips, around 0.5cm in thickness and then cut each strip in half to make 24 pieces. Carefully place the dough strips onto the buns and brush the tops with beaten egg. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden.
  • 10. To make the toffee glaze, melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a pan and stir well. Take the sauce off the heat. Once the buns are baked, brush the tops with the toffee sauce and serve whilst warm.

Notes

Yeast does not like warm liquid, so make sure that the milk and butter mixture has cooled back to room temperature before adding to the dry ingredients. Adding the chocolate chunks in after the first prove will help to keep them from melting.

You may also like:

No Bake Creme Egg Cheesecake 

Polish Easter Babka  

Easter Tiramisu 

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6 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.

  2. Nice recipe! Photo’s look very tasty, have to write this one down for the kids. Thanks for sharing.

  3. Nice one! It’s been a while since we want to learn to make some of these! Will try this Saturday after a paella party that we have in Sussex (there is always a excuse to celebrate 🙂 ). Thank you very much for the recipe!

  4. These look beautifully light and fluffy. I’ve made a chocolate version before for the dried fruit haters in our house I.e. Everyone but me. Love the maple syrup glaze. Excellent idea. Happy Easter Ren

    1. Ren Behan says:

      Thank you Sally, hope you had a lovely Easter too! Lots of unusual recipes around this year.

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