Spelt Hot Cross Buns

A delicious Easter treat, these Marriage’s Spelt Hot Cross Buns offer a wholesome and nutty flavour and a closer texture than our traditional recipe. Makes 17 buns

INGREDIENTS

Stage 1 – for the dough

• 500g Marriage’s Light Spelt flour
• 20g fresh yeast or 1 ½ sachets easy-blend dried yeast
• 7g sea salt
• 75g unsalted butter, diced
• 75g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 230ml tepid water
• 25g ground mixed spice
• 5g ground nutmeg
• 5g ground cinnamon

Stage 2

• 100g currants
• 100g sultanas
• 25g mixed peel

Stage 3 – for the cross:

• 100g Marriage’s Strong White Bread flour
• 100ml cold water
• 3g salt
• 40ml vegetable oil

Stage 4 – for the glaze:

• 50g apricot jam
• 30ml of hot water

 

YOU’LL ALSO NEED

• A baking tray covered in grease proof paper

 

METHOD

1. Put the flour, sugar, salt, butter, mixed spice, nutmeg, cinnamon and the yeast into a large bowl and mix well. Make a well in the centre then pour in the tepid water and the egg. Mix well.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead thoroughly for 2-3 minutes until silky smooth. The dough can also be mixed and kneaded in a large electric mixer fitted with a dough hook – work on the lowest speed for 2-3 minutes. Now add the currants, sultanas and mixed peel (stage 2), distribute evenly and knead.
3. Return the dough to the bowl and cover with a snap-on lid or slip the bowl into a large plastic bag – this avoids a skin forming on the dough.  Leave in a warm place for approximately 45 minutes.
4. Punch down the risen dough and turn out onto a lightly floured work surface.  Divide the dough into 16 or 17 equal pieces, approximately 70g each, and shape into balls.  Set well apart on the baking tray then slip the tray into a large plastic bag (again this avoids a skin forming on the dough) and leave to rise as before, until doubled in size – this could take 60-90 minutes.  Meanwhile heat the oven to 210ºC/410ºF/Gas Mark 6.
5. To make the paste for the cross (stage 3), mix the flour, water, salt and vegetable oil to make a smooth thick paste that can be piped.  Spoon into a greaseproof paper piping bag (or a small plastic bag) and snip off the tip.  Uncover the buns and pipe a paste cross onto each.
6. Bake in the heated oven for 13 -15 minutes until golden brown, watch that you don’t burn the bottoms.
7. Meanwhile, make the sticky glaze (stage 4) by heating the jam and water until dissolved.  Boil for one minute then brush over the buns as soon as they are out of the oven.  Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.

Tip: If you want to make a chocolate chip version, replace the fruit with the same weight in chocolate chips.