Did someone say Easter’s on the way? Pancake day is done and dusted, and I’m sure you’ve seen those chocolate eggs filling up the seasonal aisle in your local supermarket (Katie, I want the Mint Chocolate Lindor one please, if you hadn’t already guessed). Plus I’m basically living off those incredible Mini Egg yogurts that you can only get for three months of the year.
Hey Google, put Mini Egg yogurts on the shopping list.
Well, all of this Easter chocolate got me in the mood to bake something a little bit festive, and so my Hot Cross Bun Loaf was born.
What is a Hot Cross Bun?
Hot cross buns are an under-rated Easter bun of deliciousness. Traditionally, they are small, sweet yeast buns made with dried fruits like raisins and currants, flavored with spices, and topped with a flour paste cross.
I’ve shared a recipe for hot cross buns on this blog before – check out my for a bit more of an idea as to what they’re supposed to look like (excuse the photos – they were taken yeaaaaaars ago).
Correct me if I’m wrong (and I probably am) but hot cross buns are usually eaten in the UK, as well as Australia and New Zealand, but haven’t really ever made it big across the pond in the States. Which is a travesty.
Oh, and check out this Australian bakery’s very smiley and not at all religious version – the Not Cross Bun. Adorable.
How to Make a Hot Cross Bun Loaf
Today’s recipe is a hot cross bun on steroids. Imagine a loaf of freshly baked white bread and a hot cross bun had an affair – this would be the resulting offspring.
It’s based on a standard white bread recipe, with a little less strong white flour and a little more all-purpose flour to keep things a bit lighter. Plus, all the standard ingredients you would expect to find in a hot cross bun – dried fruit, spices, orange and lemon zest, and that trademark flour cross on top.
The method below is for a bread maker, because I’m absolutely too lazy to make bread by hand now that I have my beloved Panasonic Bread Maker. If you haven’t already invested in a bread maker, then I seriously suggest you do because it will change your life, as well as saving your arms. It does all the mixing, rising, kneading, and even the baking for you! Just pop the ingredients in, set the program, and sit back and relax. Some models even come with a timer so you can pop the ingredients in before you go to sleep, and wake up to freshly baked bread in the morning.
Isn’t technology incredible?
Except there’s a catch. If you want to add the cute little flour crosses (or smiley faces, or whatever else you want to pipe on there) then you’re going to have to remove the dough from the bread maker before it gets to the baking stage, knead in the dried fruit, leave to rise in a loaf tin, pipe the flour decorations on, and then bake as you usually would in the oven.
If you’re not fussed about the crosses, then go ahead and bake the whole recipe in the bread maker. Mine has a handy little dispenser for adding fruit and nuts part way through the process, so if you’ve got this functionality on yours then definitely use it. And make sure to use a setting on your bread maker that allows for this.
I don’t have a bread maker
If you don’t have a bread maker, then that’s okay. The recipe below can be adapted to be made by hand. Just place the milk, butter, egg, flours, sugar, salt, spices, and zests into a large bowl (or in your stand mixer) and beat together until a dough forms. Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes, then let it rest for an hour in a bowl covered with a towel or plastic wrap. After the dough has doubled in size, knead in the dried fruit and peel, shape it into a loaf, and place it in a lined loaf pan. Leave to rise again for an hour, and then decorate and bake as per the recipe below.
Hot Cross Bun Loaf (Breadmaker Recipe)
A spicy bread loaf, filled with sultanas, raisins and mixed peel. Influenced by the traditional Easter Hot Cross Bun.
4o
PREP TIME= 15 mins
COOK TIME = 40 mins
REST TIME = 2 hrs 30 mins
TOTAL TIME = 3 hrs 25 mins
COURSE CUISINE SERVINGS
Breakfast English 12 Servings
| INGREDIENTS (For the bread) | INSTRUCTIONS |
| 300 ml milk 75 g unsalted butter, melted 1 large egg, beaten 250 g plain or all-purpose flour 250 g strong plain bread flour 50 g light brown sugar ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon ground cloves 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon Zest of one large orange Zest of one lemon 2 teaspoons dried yeast suitable for breadmakers 175 g sultanas 175 g raisins 25 g mixed peel | 1. Pour the milk, melted butter, and beaten egg into the bowl of your bread machine. Then, add the flour, sugar, salt, spices, and zest on top of the liquid ingredients. If your bread machine has a yeast dispenser, place the yeast there; otherwise, add it directly to the bowl. 2. Select a setting on the bread maker that will allow the dough to mix and rise without baking. Let the machine run until the dough is fully risen. Meanwhile, line a 2lb loaf tin with baking parchment. 3. Once the dough has risen, remove it from the machine and transfer it to a floured surface. Knead in the sultanas, raisins, and mixed peel, then place the dough into the prepared loaf tin. Cover it with a lightly oiled piece of clingfilm or plastic wrap and leave it in a warm spot to rise for an hour. 4. About 30 minutes before the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 200°C / 390°F (180°C for fan ovens). In a small bowl, mix the flour and milk to create a thick paste for the decoration. Place the mixture in a piping bag and set it asid. 5. When the dough has nearly doubled in size, remove the clingfilm or plastic wrap. Pipe a cross on top of the loaf using the prepared batter, and bake for 35-40 minutes until the loaf turns golden brown. 6. After baking, quickly take the loaf out of the tin and place it on a wire rack. Warm the apricot jam in the microwave for about 20 seconds, then use a brush to apply it over the warm loaf. |
| For the decoration 2 tablespoons plain or all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons milk 2 tablespoons apricot jam |
This hot cross bun loaf should stay fresh for 3-4 days if stored in an airtight container somewhere cool – don’t keep in the fridge. As with all bread, it is much nicest eaten on the day of making.
You can also freeze the loaf for 2-3 months. Defrost at room temperature and then eat within 2-3 days.