Traditional Hot Cross Buns
Preparation 25 Minutes
Cook 1 hr 50 min Minutes
Serves 12
Method
Place your flour, yeast, sugar, allspice, cinnamon and salt in your mixing bowl and briefly mix until combined.
Add in your melted butter, warm milk, eggs and raisins.
Mix with your dough hook on medium speed for 5-7 minutes until a dough ball is formed and is coming away from the sides of the bowl.
Leave the dough covered with clingfilm in a warm place for approximately 1 hour or until doubles in size.
Knock the air out of the dough and roll it into a log before cutting it into 12 even pieces.
Roll each piece into a smooth ball and place into a grease proof paper linen baking tray (approx. 30cm x 20cm) in a 3 bun by 4 bun pattern.
Cover balls of dough with cling film again and let rise for approximately 40 minutes or until it has risen to about 70% of its original size.
Pre heat oven to 180 degrees after leaving it to rest.
Right before placing it into the oven make your cross mixture by mixing your flour and water until a thickish paste forms. Using a ziplock bag with the corner cut off or a piping bag, pipe your crosses down the center of each bun horizontally and then vertically.
Bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until nice and golden brown.
Meanwhile, place jam and water in a bowl and microwave for approx. 30 seconds until melted and combines.
Once buns are fresh out the over, brush your glaze over each one to give them a beautiful glossy finish.
Ingredients
9g dry yeast
110g caster sugar
375g warm milk
640g bread flour
1 tbsp cinnamon powder
1 tbsp all spice
½ tsp salt
220g Sunbeam Australian Currants
50g unsalted butter, melted
1 whole egg
For the cross:
75g plain flour
5 tbsp of water
For the glaze:
2 tbsp apricot jam (or your jam of preference)
2 tbsp water
Recipe Collection
Choc Sultana Hot Cross Bun
Preheat oven to 200°C
- Sieve plain flour and mixed spice. Rub butter into the flour until well incorporated and add dry yeast, castor sugar, sultanas, currants and chocolate dots. Add the milk and eggs and mix well. Place on a floured surface and gently knead dough for ten minutes until smooth and velvety. Cover and leave to rise for one hour or until mixture has doubled in size.
- Gently knead for 2 minutes then divide into 12. Gently knead into balls and shape into buns. Arrange in a greased baking tin and leave to rise again for 15 minutes.
- Combine ingredients for flour paste crosses and place in a piping bag. Pipe crosses onto buns.
- Bake for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 170°C and bake for a further 20 minutes.
- Turn onto a wire rack, serve hot with butter, if desired
Carrot & Sultana Tray Bake
1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line an 17 x 26cm baking tray.
2. Combine flours, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and oil. Add to the dry ingredients with the carrot and sultanas. Mix well. Pour into prepared pan and cook for 30 minutes. Allow to cool.
4. For the icing, whisk together the cream cheese and honey. Spread over cooled cake and sprinkle with walnuts.
Chocolate Bark Variations
Place the chocolate in a large heat-proof bowl over a pot of gently simmering water. Cook until the chocolate is almost entirely melted, stirring frequently.
Cover a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a silicone or rubber spatula to spread chocolate evenly over the centre area of the baking sheet—aim for about ¼″ thickness
Sprinkle the nuts, seeds & fruit evenly over the chocolate. Lightly use your palms to press the toppings into the chocolate.
Place the pan on a flat surface in the refrigerator to set.
Once the chocolate is completely hardened, use your hands to break it into about 25 pieces. Serve immediately, or cover and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Sunbeam Christmas Cake
Soak fruit overnight in brandy, if you warm the brandy it infuses faster and you can soak for a few hours instead of overnight.
Place soaked fruit, water, butter, maple syrup and sugar in a saucepan. Slowly bring to the boil then remove from heat and add bicarbonate of soda mixed with one tablespoon boiling water. Cool for 15 minutes.
Add lightly beaten eggs, mixing thoroughly. Fold in sifted flours, spices and vanilla essence.
We used a 21cm bundt tin. Bake at 160°C for 75 to 90 minutes. Cool in tin.
Decorate with Caramel glaze and Sunbeam flake almonds.
Ricotta & Apricot Loaf with Thyme
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line the base and sides of a 10 x 20cm loaf pan.
- Combine butter, eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Whisk well. Add flour and mix until just combined.
- Fold in the ricotta, apricots and thyme. Spoon into prepared pan and sprinkle the top with almonds and thyme. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before removing from the pan.
Chocolate & Hazelnut Meringue
- Preheat oven to 140°C (120°C fan-forced). Trace 3 x 15cm diameter circles on baking paper and place onto oven trays.
- Set aside half of the hazelnuts and finely chop remaining half.
- Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until firm peaks have formed. Gradually add sugar a little at a time until all has been incorporated and mixture is thick and glossy. Remove bowl from machine and gently fold in the chopped hazelnuts and cocoa with a large metal spoon, until just combined.
- Divide mixture between prepared oven trays, spreading it within each of the circles. Bake for 1 hour, then turn the oven off and allow meringues to cool in the oven.
- For the cream, whip the cream and sugar together until firm peaks form. Roughly squash half of the raspberries with a fork and fold into the cream.
- For assembly, place one meringue disc onto a serving plate, top with ⅓ of the cream. Repeat process using all meringues and finishing with cream on top. Decorate with remaining raspberries and reserved hazelnuts. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes prior to serving.
