No Knead Easter Hot Cross Buns
Posted on April 7 2017
These No Knead Easter Hot Cross Buns are soft, full of cinnamon, nutmeg, mixed spice, ginger and raisins. Glazed with a little honey when they’re hot out the oven and then it’s up to you whether you can win the battle of the mind to let them cool a little, or have a huge big bite immediately!!
Traditionally an Easter treat, but I think they’re acceptable ANY old time!
It’s a tough one, and I may or may not have won the battle of letting the hot cross buns cool before I polished one off. But that’s between me and the hot cross bun. I’ll never tell.
Looking to make a variety of sweet treats this Easter? I suggest you try out my Dairy & Sugar Free Almond Chocolate Truffles, The Best Chocolate Brownie Cake (Sugar Free), my Healthy Chocolate Banana & Apple Muffins (great for Easter morning) or my Layered Chocolate Yoghurt Chia Seed Cups.
What gets me about walking into a bakery is the fragrant, yeasty, fresh bread just out the oven. Hot, crispy on the outside, soft in the middle – Oh MY… FRESH BREAD. It’s the best. I have memories of going to the shops with my mom after school when I was little and sitting in the back on the way home, digging a huge big hole in the loaf of fresh, white bread, so naughty!! But so GOOD!
Baking yeasty dinner rolls (check out my Light & Fluffy Dinner Rolls 2 Ways!), and these No Knead Easter Hot Cross Buns takes me down memory lane to the back seat of my mom’s car, surrounded by grocery bags, as I mix the dough, and then as I pull the buns out the oven all steaming, golden and spicy. They smell so yummy.
This recipe makes 15 hot cross buns – so enough for a fairly big group. And they’re extra delicious served warm with a little farm-fresh butter. How are you not already in the kitchen baking a batch??!! I highly recommend you do just that asap. You won’t regret it!
My only piece of advice when it comes to these No Knead Easter Hot Cross Buns, is to handle the dough just as much as you need to and no more…The more the dough is handled the less light & fluffy it becomes. So be light of hand and you’ll have no problem at all.
Happy weekend to you, I hope it’s a good one for all of you, here’s the recipe, enjoy!!
Soft, full of cinnamon, nutmeg, mixed spice, ginger and raisins. And glazed with a little honey when they’re hot out the oven - To DIE for!
- FOR THE BUNS:
- 1 10 g 3 tsp packet of dry yeast
- 1/4 cup very warm water
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 5 cups white bread flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 2 1/2 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 cup sultanas or raisins
- FOR THE CROSSES:
- 2 heaped tbsp plain flour
- 6 tbsp water
- FOR THE GLAZE:
- 1 tbsp honey
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Grease a baking tray with butter.
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Place very warm water in a measuring cup and sprinkle over the yeast, stirring until the yeast dissolves. Set aside.
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Heat milk in the microwave until hot (not boiling), then add the butter and stir until butter melts. Let it cool a little and then add the eggs and stir in.
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Sieve the flour into a large bowl, mix in the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, mixed spice, ginger, sugar and sultanas or raisins.
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Make a well in the centre and pour in the yeast mixture and the butter mixture. Mix in with a metal fork until a soft dough forms, it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is still a little sticky, but you can form it into a rough ball with your hands. If it’s too sticky add a little more flour until you are happy with the consistency, being careful not to make it too dry.
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Place in a greased mixing bowl with a damp cloth over the top and leave to rise until it doubles in size - about 30 mins. This can differ depending on your room temperature - if it is cold where you are, place the dough in the microwave with a cup of boiling water next to the bowl to help it along.
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On a lightly floured surface divide the dough into 15 equal pieces.
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Preheat oven to 200°C.
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Roll the dough pieces into balls with your hands and evenly space out on the baking tray. Cover again with a damp cloth and let the buns rise until they double in size - about 40 mins.
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Mix together the plain flour and water for the crosses until you have a thick paste. Gently pat down the buns with your hands. Using a spoon or a piping bag filled with the paste - carefully draw a cross onto each bun.
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Bake for about 15 mins or until rolls are golden brown. Brush with honey and transfer onto a wire rack to cool.
Handle the dough just as much as you need to and no more…The more the dough is handled the less light & fluffy it becomes, so be light of hand and you’ll have no problem at all.
