Sourdough Hot Cross Buns

Sometimes you meet someone and you instantly feel comfortable, and realise you share a passion. 

I totally felt this way when I met Graham Prichard at the Cake Bake and Sweets Show.

As you can probably tell, I am obsessed with sourdough, a bread making journey that I love, and it was a very special experience to learn even a little from Graham.

Graham shared a recipe for sourdough Hot Cross Buns, and a wealth of knowledge in all things sourdough.

So of course I baked sourdough Hot Cross Buns, which I adapted to my own recipe, something I am learning to do more and more with sourdough. 

Your own starter is quite unique and you learn to work with it.

I combined my ingredients of milk, flour (combination of white and wholewheat), starter, sugar (rapadura), salt, and cinnamon into a rough dough.

The butter and dried fruit which I soaked in sherry were then kneaded in.

After a few more resting times and gentle kneading the dough was divided into nine, shaped into buns and put in a square cake tin.

I left the buns in the fridge overnight.

The next day I brought them back to room temperature and then added crosses and baked them.

While still hot they were brushed with a honey glaze.

Served with some butter, they were packed with flavour and were lighter then I expected, just beautiful.

Especially with some Easter craft in the background!

The Cake Bake and Sweets Show overall was quite enjoyable, plenty of workshops and personalties to see, as well as stands which mostly had some very impressive cake decorating. 

Sourdough Hot Cross Buns

Inspired by Graham Prichard

150g white bakers flour

60g whole wheat flour

110g milk

110g starter

30g rapadura sugar

2.5g salt 

1 teaspoon cinnamon

30g butter

70g dried fruit (soaked for a couple of hours in a little sherry)

extra flour and water for the crosses

1 tsp honey and 1 tsp hot water combined for the glaze

Combine the flours, milk, starter, sugar, salt and cinnamon until a rough dough is formed.

Combine fruit (including any soaking liquid) and softened butter and knead into the dough.

Leave to rest for 15 minutes.

Knead for two minutes and rest for another 15 minutes.

Knead again and leave for 30 minutes.

Fold the dough over itself in both directions, the dough should be soft and smooth, and leave in a greased bowl covered with cling wrap for a couple of hours.

Divide into 9 pieces, shape into buns and place in a square cake tin.

Leave covered with cling wrap in the fridge overnight.

Place on the bench for 2-4 hours (depends on how cold your kitchen is!).

Combine 2 tablespoons flour with a little water and a dribble of oil until you get a nice consistency and pipe crosses on the buns.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200C for 25 minutes.

Brush with the honey glaze while still hot.