Hot Cross Buns For The Coffee-Obsessed

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We all had the chance to unleash the inner baker during the last 2 years. And if you’re anything like us, you got right into baking sourdough and loved it! If that’s the case, you’ll find hot cross buns one of the most rewarding, delicious sweets to make from scratch, and they are super simple to make, too, even if you haven’t baked before.

We know you’re coffee obsessed, so why not compliment your morning coffee with a hot cross bun recipe with a coffee influenced twist? Give it a go, whip up a batch, and you’ll thank us later.

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Ingredients

For the buns:

100g brown sugar

300g white flour

300g wholemeal flour

7g salt

3g cinnamon (ground)

3g cardamom (ground)

3g coffee (ground)

250ml milk

50g warm coffee*

1 egg beaten

18g yeast

Zest of one orange

50g butter melted

175g currants soaked in hot coffee*

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For the egg wash:

1 egg beaten

20ml milk

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For the glaze:

30g brown sugar

40g hot coffee*

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For the crosses:

40g plain flour

40g self-raising flour

20ml oil

60ml water

*Note: if you don’t have a filter brewing method and you’re using espresso instead, best to dilute your shots in half using hot water.

Instructions

Method: Making the Hot Cross Buns

1. Soak your currants: Place the dried currants into a medium bowl. Brew your favourite filter (we recommend Colombia – Cauca Inza). Once brewed, cover your currants with the hot filtered coffee and let them soak for 20mins. Drain and let stand.
2. Prepare the glaze: You’re not done with the filter coffee yet! Grab another small bowl, dissolve the 30g of brown sugar with 40g of your hot filtered coffee, and put it aside.
3. Add the sugar, flour, salt, spices and coffee to a bowl and combine.
4. Place the milk, coffee, egg and yeast in a bowl and lightly whisk. Add the zest of 1 orange.
5. Mix the dry and wet ingredients (steps 3 and 4) until forming a loose dough.
6. Turn the newly mixed dough onto your bench and knead for around 10 minutes while also adding melted butter and coffee-soaked currants a little at a time to ensure it’s evenly mixed through the dough. Put the dough in a container with a lid, rest it on the kitchen bench and wait about an hour for it to double in size.
7. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray the parchment with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
8. Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Tip the dough out onto the bench and divide it into 12 pieces. Rotate each piece of dough in a circular motion, cupping your hand over it to make it into a ball. Place the dough balls onto a baking sheet and cover with a tea towel and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
9. While the buns are rising, let’s prepare the cross mixture. In a piping bag, mix 40g plain flour, 40g self-raising flour, 20ml oil, and 60ml water. If you don’t have a piping bag, a glove with the finger snipped, or a zip-lock bag will work just fine.
10. Using a pastry brush, paint the top of your buns with the egg wash.
11. Use your piping bag to create the iconic cross on your buns. Or get creative!
12. Bake for 20 minutes at 200 degrees. Note this also depends on your oven, so best to keep an eye on them.
13. Take the buns from the oven and brush the tops with your coffee glaze.
14. Enjoy, eat them up!!