Hot Cross Buns

So #Easter is right around the corner so I finally have an excuse to bake Hot Cross Buns They are typically eaten on Good Friday so you have time to try out my recipe more than once

In these spiced sweet buns I used #driedmango and Somersby's Mango beer which adds a great deeper taste all-around each bun complementing the dried fruit and makes it fluffier

In the White Cross ingredients I added some maple syrup and rum to give it a distinct mild taste.

The ingredients I used in detail:

Dry Ingredients

600gr Flour

130gr Sugar

10gr Salt

6gr Cinnamon

2gr Mahlepi

2gr Cardamom

2gr Clove

8gr Instant Yeast

Wet Ingredients

260gr Somersby Beer with Mango and Lime (Feel free to swap with water/mango juice/orangeade. Though the carbonation in the beer makes the buns light and fluffy and the flavor complements the dried fruits in the bread)

60gr Greek Yoghurt (or Sour Cream)

Tangzhong (Prepare by heating 200gr water and 40gr flour, whisking constantly, until a gelatinous paste is formed. Let it come to room temperature covered with plastic wrap)

1 Egg

Add-ins:

150gr White Chocolate

90 gr Dried Mango Pieces

After some kneading:

50 gr butter

Orange zest from 1 orange

For the cross:

20gr Maple Syrup

10gr Rum

45gr Water

70gr Flour

Fill them with Vanilla Pudding for superb taste:

In a pan:

420gr Milk

Vanilla Pod and Beans

60gr Sugar

In a bowl:

40gr Sugar

70gr Milk

45gr Corn Flour

Method

For the Dough:

Mix the dry ingredients.

Add the wet ingredients in and the add-ins.

Knead using your stand mixer until a rough dough is formed and add the orange zest and butter.

Knead for another 10 minutes.

Cover with plastic wrap and let proof until double in size (1-2h).

Meanwhile prepare the vanilla pudding.

Boil the milk, vanilla and part of the sugar and let it stand for10 minutes before removing the pod.

In a bowl mix sugar, milk and corn flour and while whisking add the hot milk inside.

Transfer back to the pan and heat on medium heat whisking consistently until it thickens.

Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and move to the fridge or ice bath to cool.

Punch the dough, divide into 60-80gr pieces and shape them into balls.

Let the dough balls proof for another 40 minutes.

Meanwhile preheat the oven at 190C.

Prepare the cross mixture by combining all the cross ingredients.

Transfer to a piping bag and pipe a cross on each dough ball.

Bake until golden (25 minutes in my oven).

Let them cool completely and then pipe the vanilla pudding inside, from the down side of the bun (if the vanilla pudding has thickened and is not easy to handle, mix it again so that it becomes creamy. if you mix with a blender, be careful not to overmix or it will become runny).

Enjoy and give me your thoughts when you try them! ^^