Dairy Free Hot Cross 'Cardamom' Buns
Probably the most over spoken about carb during the Easter Season, but yet they never get old. Hot Cross Buns Hun!
Truth be told I had never made these before this post. Maybe it was the spirit of blogging that encouraged me. They are so cheap in the supermarket, that making them really does require that much more effort.
However, after making my first batch, OH MY JESUS I could never go back! They came out HUGE. And so so delicious! So scrumptious, so soft, just heaven! There really is something to be said for fresh bread in the morning.
The best part was I finally got dairy free buns. I mean does it get better?!
The thing that stressed me out the most was the crosses. Every recipe I read was telling me to use a piping bag and pipe them perfectly. It was only till my mother walked in the kitchen and picked up a teaspoon and dripped a line on, that I realised it really was that simple! I mean reality is, you don’t really need the cross, it doesn’t bring taste, just there for the pattern.
Ingredients:
600g Plain Flour
7g Instant Yeast
150ml Warm Coconut Milk
50ml Vegetable Oil
80g Caster Sugar
2 TSP Cardamom
125g Currants/Sultanas/Dried Fruit
1 Egg
4 TBSP Sugar (For coating)
Method:
Mix the yeast into the warm milk and leave to ferment for 5 minutes.
Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl or electric mixer.
Add in the Milk/Yeast Mixture, then knead the dough for roughly 15 minutes till the dough has come together, is smooth and elastic.
Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and leave to rise for at least an hour in a warm place.
Once your dough has at least doubled in size, knock it out onto a floured surface and divide the dough into 16 equal balls.
Knead each ball slightly, and roll into a smooth ball and place onto your baking tray with a baking parchment underneath.
I like to put them all on the same tray or 8 on each and let them rise close so they stick together when they cook, just like you get in the shops!
Leave these balls to rise again for at least 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
Heat your oven to 180°c.
To make the cross, take 1 TBSP of Flour and slowly mix with water to make a thin paste. Not too thin that is like water but not to thick that it won’t drip and make a line.
With a teaspoon, dip it into the flour paste and then draw crosses across your buns. If you want them perfect you can use a piping bag to get the precision.
Place the buns in the oven and cook for 18-20 minutes.
You are looking for golden brown buns.
While they are in the oven prepare the sugar syrup.
Combine the sugar and water into a small saucepan and turn the heat up high.
You literally want the sugar to dissolve.
I let it bubble for about 3 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to the lowest setting for a further 2 minutes.
As soon as the buns come out of the oven, using a pastry brush, brush the sugar syrup over the buns to create a perfect shine.
Leave to cool slightly and then eat and enjoy!