Wholesome Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns. They are my absolute favourite. When they get put on the shelves in early January I am the one and only person (except my fiancé who genuinely downs three packets a day) who is there cheering wishing they'd come out even earlier.

HOWEVER. This year, I've really changed up my diet (more on that in a future blogpost) and I'm finding I'm becoming more and more sensitive to foods with oil. I didn't want this to get in the way of me downing stupid amounts of hot cross buns every morning so I've made my own, and let me tell you - they are better than the ones you get from the bakery. (AND THERE'S NO MILK SOLIDS! HOORAY!)


They're ugly, but they're delicious. Promise.

What you'll need -

2.5 x cups of flour 
2 x tsp yeast
1 x cup of sultanas/dates/both
1 x tsp sugar (used to activate the yeast)
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup warm water
1/3 cup apple sauce
2 x tbsp of cinnamon (or more if you like)
1 x tsp nutmeg
1 x tsp ginger
1 x tbsp orange juice
the zest of one orange 
1 x tbsp maple syrup
1 x tbsp vanilla essence 


What you'll need to do -
1. Warm up your water, soy milk, yeast and sugar in a pan over a hotplate. Ensure the milk does NOT boil, and keep it warmed for around ten minutes.

2. In a bowl, sift in your flour and spices. Add in your orange zest and juice.

3. Fold your milk mixture into your dry ingredients slowly.

4. Once well combined, add in maple syrup, vanilla and apple sauce.

5. Knead the dough for five minutes. If it is getting stuck to your fingers, add in a slight bit more of flour.

6. Add in your sultanas or dates or both. I used to think I hated sultanas and I still kind of think that sometimes, so I've tried this recipe with dates as well. Both work fine.

7. Knead the dough again for another five minutes.

8. Move mixture to clean bowl and cover with a tea towel and place in a warm place for about an hour. The dough should almost double.

9. Roll your dough into small bowls and place in a non-stick pan. Cover with tea towel for another hour. 

10. optional -  if you would like to draw crosses on your buns to make them seem more legit, simply mix together flour and water in a bowl until it's quite thick and draw them on top with a knife. I can't do this nicely to save my life, but you might be more successful than me.

11. Put in oven for 30-35 minutes.

12. ENJOY! These bad boys will make your house smell incredible, but will also make you feel good too. Let me know if you try them!