Make super fruity and zesty hot cross buns without using the oven - recipe
Hot cross buns are an Easter staple and yet few people attempt making them from scratch. With the help of an air fryer, they couldn't be easier to bake.
Good hot cross buns are hard to come by with some too dry and others lacking in fruit.
While it's easy to shop around for the best, the most foolproof solution is to try making them from scratch - exactly to your liking.
Battling with a hot oven to get them right can be tough, but with this recipe, all that's needed is an air fryer.
Sharing the expert formula with Express.co.uk, Martin Senders, Phillips' Air Fryer chef revealed exactly how to make deliciously moist hot cross buns at home.
Blended with a mixture of warming spices and zesty fruits, the results are hard to resist.
Ingredients
- 345g all-purpose flour
- Two eggs
- 5g dry yeast
- 50g sugar
- Half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- One-quarter teaspoon of ground allspice
- A pinch of salt
- Two teaspoons of orange zest
- One teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 200ml milk
- 50g softened butter
- 50g golden raisins
- 50g candied ginger
- Two tablespoons water
- One tablespoon apricot jam
- Two tablespoons warm water
Don't miss...
Mary Berry's 'luxury' cottage pie recipe swaps mash for a creamy alternative [COOKING]
Storage method keeps eggs at 'optimal freshness' for five weeks [REVEAL]
Air fryer recipe makes the 'most delicious' carrot cake in 'no time at all' [EXCLUSIVE]
Hot Cross Bun recipe
Using a hand mixer, combine the flour, egg, dry yeast, sugar, ground cinnamon and allspice, salt, orange zest, vanilla extract and milk in a large mixing bowl.
Do this for about three minutes while gradually adding the softened butter. Continue for a further three minutes to form a smooth, slightly sticky and elastic dough.
Stir in the sweet raisins and candied ginger then transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes, or until it doubles in size.
When the timer is up, punch down the dough while still in the bowl, then transfer it to a lightly floured work surface. Divide into nine equal pieces and shape into a ball.
Place the eggs in a basket, cover and leave them double in size once more before cooking.
Take a new bowl and whisk the egg, then add in the flour and water before mixing everything to a smooth, thick but runny paste.
When risen, brush the dough balls with the whisked egg and then neatly pipe the flour mixture to make crosses on top of the buns.
Place in the air fryer and cook for 25 minutes at 150C. Once baked, transfer to a cooling rack to bring them down to room temperature.
Meanwhile, mix the apricot jam with warm water and brush the mixture over the nine buns. Leave to cool completely before serving.
