Hot cross buns with sour cherries and poppy seeds
Having a bread machine makes baking bread and yeasty cakes really easy as most of the kneading and proofing is done by it. So these hot cross buns with sour cherries and poppy seeds are really easy to make. If you don’t have a breadmaker, follow our classic hot cross buns recipe and add the sour cherries and poppy seeds instead of the sultanas and mixed peel. These buns can easily be dairy-free, just use almond milk and margarine.
Ingredients
Method
- Attach the kneading blade (if you have one) onto the bread machine spindle then add all the dough ingredients into the bread pan in the above order.
- Select the appropriate kneading setting as per your machine’s instructions. This is normally about 2 – 2½ hours. If it has an auto dispenser put the sour cherries and poppy seeds into it, otherwise add them when indicated by the machine.
- When the cycle completes, take out the dough and divide them into eight equal balls. Put them on a lightly greased baking tray, allowing enough space between them to double.
- Put the tray in the oven, preheated to about 40°C to prove. It should take about 30 minutes for the buns to double in size.
- Turn up the oven temperature to 180°C.
- Meanwhile make the paste: mix the flour & water until you get a smooth paste. Put this unto a freezer bag and cut off one of the corners. Draw crosses on top of each bun with the paste through the pipe.
- Put the tray back into the oven and bake the buns for about 15 minutes – keep an eye on them and take the tray out when they’re nicely golden brown.
- Mix the milk with the sugar and brush the buns while they’re still hot.
- Let them cool and serve.