Best of both Apple and Cinnamon Hot Cross Buns combining the goodness of wholemeal flour with sweet cinnamon and apple to give a delicious but healthy twist to this Easter classic. This recipe is adapted from Julie Jones‘s Soulful Baker cookbook.
Makes 9 buns
Ingredients
For the buns
- 50g butter, melted
- 175g strong white flour
- 175g strong wholemeal flour
- 35g caster sugar
- 1 tsp ground mixed spice
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 7g fast action yeast
- Up to 160ml tepid water
- 1 egg
- 50g sultanas
- 50g dried apple, roughly chopped
For the crosses
- 10g butter
- 40g strong white flour
- 45ml water
For the glaze
- 75ml water
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 large pinch cinnamon
- 1 large pinch ground mixed spice
Method
- Add all the dried ingredients for the buns, except the fruit, into a stand mixer. Add the butter, egg and 150ml water.
- Mix on a low speed for 10 minutes, adding the remaining 10ml of water if the dough looks a little dry – it should be just sticky.
- After 10 minutes add the dried fruit and mix for a further 2 minutes till incorporated.
- Form into a ball, cover, and allow to rise till doubled in size for around 1.5 hours.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, knock it back and divide the ball into 9 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece into a tight ball without any fruit sticking out the top as these will burn.
- Place the balls in a 3×3 formation in a baking tin roughly 20cmx20cm lined with baking parchment.
- Cover and allow to prove for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.
- Melt the butter for the crosses and then whisk in the flour and water to make a thick pipe-able paste. Transfer into a piping bag and snip the end to make a small hole.
- Pipe crosses (or whatever you fancy) across the tops of the buns.
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes till golden brown.
- Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat the water, sugar and spices to make the glaze.
- Once the buns are cooker, immediately brush with the glaze.
- Transfer to a wire rack, remove the baking parchment and allow to cool.
Per bun: 256kcal/ 6.6g fat/ 3.6g saturated fat/ 40.0g carbohydrates/ 5.2g fibre/ 7.8g protein