This was a popular Easter treat at our hipster cafe Bang Bang. Soft, buttery brioche infused with fragrant spices, orange zest, juicy raisins, dried apricots, citrus peel, and glazed with a sweet, tangy apricot jam. In baker’s math, the dough is rich, with a ratio of 40% butter and 40% eggs to flour. Because of this, together with Cambodia’s hot, humid climate and intense mixing for 20+ minutes, ingredients must be kept very cool to prevent over-fermentation.
Treat the recipe below as a guideline. Adjust accordingly to your ingredients, equipment, schedule, etc.
Hot Cross Buns. Commercial recipe adapted to Cambodia’s climate. Makes 30 pieces.
Dry Ingredients (Cold Temperature)
- All purpose flour / Type 55 flour (560 g)
- Strong bread flour / Type 65 flour (560 g)
- Salt (21 g)
- Instant yeast (16 g)
- Brown sugar, fine (168 g)
- Cinnamon, ground (17 g)
- Allspice, ground (5 g)
- Nutmeg, ground (3 g)
- Orange zest (1 whole orange)
Wet Ingredients (Cold Temperature)
- Water (100 g)
- Whole chicken eggs (448 g)
- Vanilla extract (to your preference)
Additions (Cold Temperature)
- Unsalted butter, softened (448 g)
- Soaked raisins, soaked in hard apple cider (560 g)
- Dried citrus peel, finely diced (67 g)
- Dried apricots, finely diced (112 g)
Instructions
- Mix dry and wet ingredients (cold temperature); using a planetary mixer with dough hook attachment, 1st speed for 3 minutes; then 2nd speed for 20+ minutes until dough is smooth, strong and satiny; while mixing on 2nd speed, slowly add softened butter, soaked raisins, citrus peel, and dried apricots
- After mixing, chill dough overnight
- Remove dough from chiller; divide dough into 70 g pieces
- Shape each piece into balls; place them onto baking trays
- Proof 1.5 – 2 hours at room temperature (approx 36°C)
- Apply egg wash 30 minutes before baking and again immediately before loading into oven
- Apply crosses with piping bag (paste made with equal ratio of wheat flour and water)
- Bake in preheated oven at 210°C for 7 minutes; then 190°C for 10 minutes; if using a deck oven, place trays on a rack to prevent burning the bottoms of buns
- Apply glaze (apricot jam diluted with water) immediately after baking