Filled with traditional mixed spices and dried fruit, this recipe for no knead hot cross buns is easy to make. If you are new to making bread this is the perfect recipe to get you started. Simply mix the ingredients, then walk away and allow the dough to rise for a few hours. Divide and shape the dough into buns and allow them to rise again, bake and enjoy. Itās that simple!
Ingredients
Bakers flour (bread flour): For a nice soft bun I recommend that you use bakersā flour. I have made these using both bakersā flour and plain (all purpose) flour and was disappointed the result of the ones made with plain flour. They rose well like the ones made with bakersā flour, however they werenāt as light and soft.
Yeast: The yeast I use is dry instant yeast. If youāve never used instant yeast before, read my article How to Use Instant Yeast 101.
Salt: There are two teaspoons of salt in this recipe which you may think is too much, but you wonāt taste it in the buns, it helps to enhance the other flavours.
Dried Fruit: If you donāt like sultanas or currants, you can use just about any type of dried fruit. If you are using large pieces of dried fruit cut them into smaller pieces before adding to the mixture.
Full Cream Milk Powder or you could use skim milk powder.
Mixed spice powder: The mixed spice that I love using is a combination of cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. But you could use pumpkin pie spice or British mixed spice mix. And donāt forget to add the extra cinnamon and nutmeg powders for added flavour.
Easy Step By Step
1 Place all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
2. Use a whisk or wooden spoon to mix the ingredients together. Then create a well in the centre.
3. Add the water and oil.
4. Use a wooden spoon to mix the ingredients.
5. Make sure that all the ingredients are incorporated.
6. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and shape the dough into a ball.
7. Cover the bowl in plastic food wrap and place in a warm spot.
8. Allow the dough to rise until it has doubled in size.
9. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
10. Use a scraper and fold the four sides of the dough into the centre, then repeat the process one more time.
Tip: If you donāt have a scraper, make one out of an ice cream container lid.
11. Dust of any excess flour.
12. Cut the dough into 12 even sized pieces and shape into balls.
13. Place the hot cross buns into a 23 cm x 32 cm deep rectangular baking tin.
14. Generously spay the dough with water.
15. Leave to rise until they have doubled in size.
16. Spray the buns again with water then bake in a hot oven for 15 minutes. While the buns are baking, make the flour paste and place it into a paper piping bag ā made from greaseproof paper (baking parchment paper), or use a disposable plastic piping bag.
Making The Hot Cross Bun Cross
17. After 15 minutes remove the buns from the oven, and pipe crosses on the buns. Pipe a continuous line lengthwise down the centre of the buns, the pipe another line across the width.
18. Return the buns back to the oven and bake for 10 ā 15 minutes more or until the buns a lightly golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.
19 & 20. Remove from the oven and turn out onto a wire rack.
No Knead Hot Cross Buns Glaze
The glaze is optional, but I do think that it gives the buns and nice glossy look. To make the glaze place, 2 teaspoon of sugar and 2 teaspoon of water into a cup, microwave on high for 1 minute, then brush the hot glaze over the tops of the hot buns.
Can You Freeze Hot Cross Buns?
Yes, these can be frozen for up to four months. When the buns have cooled, tightly wrap each bun in plastic food wrap, label and date before freezing.
How To Heat Hot Cross Buns?
The quickest way to heat hot cross buns is in the microwave. Place the frozen bun in the microwave and heat each bun in bursts of 15 ā 20 seconds on high setting, until the buns are just hot. Be careful not to heat them for too long, as they can dry out and become hard and tough.
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Recipe
No Knead Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 800 grams bakersā flour
- 1 Ā¾ teaspoons dry instant active yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt ā level
- 250 grams dried fruit sultanas or currants or a mix of the two
- 30 grams full cream milk powder
- 1 heaped tablespoon mixed spice powder
- 1/2 heaped teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1/2 level teaspoon nutmeg
Wet ingredients
- 600 grams water
- 1 teaspoon oil
Flour Paste For The Crosses
- 1/2 cup flour
- 5 tablespoons water enough to make a stiff batter
Glaze
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons water
Instructions
- Place all dry ingredient into a large mixing bowl, use a whisk to evenly mix the dry ingredients.
- Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture.
- Add the water and oil into the centre of the well.
- Use the handle of a wooden spoon to mix thoroughly, use a spatula to scrape the sides clean.
- Cover the bowl with plastic food wrap and set aside until it has doubled in size.
While the dough is resting, grease and line the base of a deep 23cm x 32 cm rectangular baking tin.
- Flour the bench well and turn the dough onto the floured bench.
- Use a scrapper to fold the outer edges of the dough to the centre, do this twice.
- Turn the dough ball over, brushing away excess flour from the dough and bench.
- Divide the dough into 12 even sized pieces each weighing approximately 140 grams each. Roll the dough gently between lightly floured hands to shape into balls.
- Place dough balls into the prepared tin with each bun touching.
- Spray with water and allow to double in size ā these can be left uncovered.
Pre heat the oven 200Ā°C
- Bake in hot oven, give the buns a light spray with water before placing into the oven.
While the buns are baking make a thick paste (about tooth paste consistency) with Ā¼ cup flour and water, place into a piping bag and put aside.
- After about 15 minutes the buns should just be turning brown. Carefully remove from the oven (leaving the oven on) and pipe crosses on the buns, using the flour paste made in step 13. To do this pipe one long line down the length of all the buns, then pipe across the width.
- Return the buns the oven and continue to bake for another 10 ā 15 minutes or until the buns are lightly golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.
- Remove from the oven and leave in the tin while you make the glaze.
- To make the glaze, place the sugar and water into a cup and microwave on high for about 1 minute, brush the glaze over the hot buns.
- Allow the buns to stand in the tin for about 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool slightly.
- Buns can be eaten hot or at room temperature.
Thank you!
Best hot cross buns ever. I had no sultanas or raisins so used chopped dried apricot, ginger, muesli which has a few raisins and lemon rind instead.
Nice no knead easy recipe, hardest part is doing the crosses.
Thank you for trying my recipe. I am so glad that you enjoyed it!