If you are after a little twist on the traditional hot cross bun recipe than give these apricot and white chocolate hot cross buns a go. They are simply divine and perfect for Easter (or any time of year!)

They freeze well and are great for school lunches if you can resist eating them all at once. We love them warm with butter, but they are also great cold.

Dried fruit often contains preservatives linked to respiratory issues, especially dried apricots!   Be sure to use our additive-free lifestyle app when scanning ingredients.

February 20, 2018
  • 1h 15m
  • 15m
  • 1h 30m

Ingredients

Dough

  • 260 g milk
  • 1 tbsp. dried yeast
  • 500 g bakers flour
  • 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 large egg
  • 40 g sugar
  • 70 g butter
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 80 g dried apricots
  • 100 g white choc bits

Cross + Topping

  • 50 g plain flour
  • 1 tsp. olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. brown or rapadura sugar

Sugar Glaze Mix

  • 70 g water
  • 2 tbsp. boiling hot water

Instructions

Thermal Cooking Method

  1. Place milk and yeast in mixing jug and heat 3 minutes/37ºC/speed 1. Make sure the yeast has fully dissolved. This may take longer with cold milk so add an extra minute to this step if needed.
  2. Add all other dough ingredients (except apricots and choc bits) and knead for 6 minutes.
  3. Tip out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead in the apricots (diced) and choc chips.
  4. Place dough in a bowl and cover with a tea towel. Place in a warm spot to prove for at least one hour or until doubled in size.
  5. Preheat oven to 220°C.
  6. Knock down dough and break off small bits. Roll into balls (a bit bigger than a golf ball) and place close together on a lined oven tray. Set aside to prove a second time until they have roughly doubled in size.
  7. To make the piping for the cross, in a little bowl or jug mix flour and water together. Pipe this along the top of the dough.
  8. Bake in oven for 15 minutes until golden brown.
  9. In a small bowl or jug make the syrup and as soon as the buns are out of the oven glaze with the syrup by brushing the syrup over the top.
  10. Freeze once cooled or eat within 24 hours.

Traditional Cooking Method

  1. Heat milk in a pot until it's lukewarm. You only just want to take the coldness out of it, do not overheat! Turn off the heat and add yeast. Mix together and let sit for 5 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl, add all other ingredients (except apricots and choc bits) and mix together well. Turn out onto a floured bench and knead by hand for a minimum of five minutes.
  3. Tip out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead in the apricots (diced) and choc chips.
  4. Place dough in a bowl and cover with a tea towel. Place in a warm spot to prove for at least one hour or until doubled in size.
  5. Preheat oven to 220°C.
  6. Knock down dough and break off small bits. Roll into balls (a bit bigger than a golf ball) and place close together on a lined oven tray. Set aside to prove a second time until they have roughly doubled in size.
  7. To make the piping for the cross, in a little bowl or jug mix flour and water together. Pipe this along the top of the dough.
  8. Bake in oven for 15 minutes until golden brown.
  9. In a small bowl or jug make the syrup and as soon as the buns are out of the oven glaze with the syrup by brushing the syrup over the top.
  10. Freeze once cooled or eat within 24 hours.

Nutrition

  • 8