Sticky Date & Chai Hot Cross Buns

Sticky Date & Chai Hot Cross Buns

Sweet and spiced, these are no ordinary hot cross buns. The recipe may seem a bit long but it’s very straight forward, and as long as you aren’t scared by a slightly sticky dough you’ll be rewarded with perfect buns any time of year.

Makes 12

INGREDIENTS

• 1 c boiling water, plus extra cold water as needed
• 1 chai tea bag or 1 tsp loose chai
• 1 c chopped dates

• 1 packet dried yeast (2 ¼ tsp)
• 2 c organic unbleached white flour, plus ½ c extra
• 2 c organic stone ground whole wheat flour

• 1 ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ginger
• ¼ tsp each ground cloves and cardamom
• good pinch cracked black pepper

• ¼ c olive oil
• 2 eggs

Before baking

• 1 egg plus a splash of water
• ¼ c unbleached white flour
• 2 – 3 Tbsp water

METHOD

Steep tea in boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove tea, add dates and soak 5 minutes. Drain dates, pressing lightly to remove extra liquid. Reserve liquid and set dates aside until required.

Top up liquid with enough water to make 1 cup, add yeast and proof until foamy.

Mix 2 c white flour with yeast and beat 50 strokes. Beat in 1 c whole wheat flour, salt and spices, oil and eggs. Beat in remaining 1 c whole wheat flour — the dough will be very sticky.

Allow dough to rest for 2 minutes, dust benchtop with about 2 Tbsp of the extra flour and scrape dough onto flour. Knead 2 mins, invert bowl over dough and rest 2 mins. Knead for 2 mins, adding another 2 Tbsp flour if required, rest 2 mins.

Using the heel of your hand, spread dough into a rough rectangle and sprinkle with a generous amount of remaining flour. Spread over dates, roll roughly to enclose (use dough scraper to help) and knead dough until dates are well incorporated — dough should be tacky but smooth.

Add a splash of oil to the (unwashed) bowl and turn dough to coat. Cover with baking paper and a tea towel and let rise in a warm spot until doubled — about an hour.

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Grease a roasting pan (13 x 9 inch) with a bit of coconut oil, line base with baking paper. 

Punch down dough, turn out onto a lightly floured benchtop and knead once or twice. Cut into 12 even pieces (85 – 90 g each for those keeping score). Roll into buns and place evenly in pan, they should be nearly touching. Cover with paper and a towel and allow to rise 30 – 45 mins until just under double in size.

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Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).

Whisk egg with a splash of water and gently brush over buns. Mix extra flour with the water to create a paste the consistency of thick yoghurt and tip into a small plastic sandwich bag.

Snip the corner off the baggie and pipe crosses using long lines in each direction (or pipe spirals, whatever). Allow buns to rise, uncovered, a further 10 – 15 mins while the oven finishes heating.

Bake 20 mins until golden and slightly hollow when tapped. Cool in pan 10 mins, run a knife around the edge and turn out to cool completely on a rack.

COOK’S NOTES

• Flours, especially whole wheat flours, vary considerably in how much moisture they absorb. I use a stone-ground organic style, if yours is a bit more processed and closer to white flour with the bran added back in you may not need as much during the kneading stage.
• Instead of kneading in the dates you could use them to make filled buns using this technique from last year.

dairy-free // soy-free // nut-free // refined sugar-free // vegetarian