Sourdough · Spring, or whenever you want them
Sourdough Hot Cross Buns
A spiced dough with raisins, baked in a cluster. The cross is flour and water, piped on before the oven, not icing.
About 12 hours · Serves 12 · 12 buns
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.”
Ingredients
- 140 g active sourdough starter
- 180 g milk
- 40 g honey, plus 15 grams for the glaze
- 1 egg (50 g)
- 45 g soft butter
- 420 g all-purpose flour, plus 40 grams for the crosses
- 7 g fine salt
- 6 g cinnamon
- 2 g ground allspice
- 100 g raisins
- 40 g dried currants, or finely chopped dried apple
- 45 g water, for the crosses
Method
- 1
Stir the starter, milk, 40 grams of honey, the egg, and the butter. Add the 420 grams of flour, the salt, cinnamon, and allspice. Mix to a soft dough. Rest 30 minutes. Knead until smooth, about 8 minutes, then knead in the raisins and currants.
- 2
Cover and rise until increased by about half, often 4 to 8 hours.
- 3
Divide into 12 pieces, about 86 grams each. Roll them into balls and set them in a buttered 9-by-13-inch pan, just touching. Cover and rise until puffy, 1 to 2 hours.
- 4
Stir the 40 grams of flour with the 45 grams of water into a thick paste. Spoon it into a small bag, snip a corner, and pipe a cross on each bun. Bake at 375°F for 18 to 22 minutes, until the centers read about 190°F. Warm the remaining 15 grams of honey with 5 grams of water and brush the buns while they are hot.
From the kitchen
- A cross piped with icing after baking looks tidy and tastes like frosting. This one is the baked paste, which stays matte.
- If the paste runs, it was too thin. Add flour 5 grams at a time until it holds a line.
My note
Kept on this device, beside the recipe, for the next time you cook it.
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