Add a bit of adventure to Easter – the smoky aroma from Dark Oolong tea brings an additional flavour to the spices of traditional hot cross buns.
Ingredients you will need
Dough
• 3 tsp active yeast
• 4 cups flour
• 1 tsp white sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1¼ cups warm milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tsp mixed spice
• 2 Tsp finely ground Zealong Dark Oolong (use a coffee grinder or pedal and mortar)
• 50g butter
• 1 cup sultanas
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 Tsp cinnamon
Crosses
• 1 cup flour
• Coldwater
Glaze
• 1 egg white
• 1 Tsp sugar
• 1 Tsp water
Instructions
Instructions
- Soak sultanas in milk or water for 15 minutes.
- Add yeast to bowl with 1 tsp flour and 1 tsp white sugar. Add warm (not hot) milk and whisk gently and set aside for 15 minutes.
- Sift the remaining dough flour into a large, clean bowl. Combine with spices, salt and Zealong Dark Oolong. Once blended, add in softened butter, brown sugar and sultanas.
- Add beaten egg to yeast mixture and combine into the flour mixture.
- Place dough on a floured surface and kneed well until it becomes smooth and stretchy.
- Leave the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap for at least an hour, until it doubles in size.
- Divide dough into 16 even-sized pieces and roll into a smooth ball.
- Place buns on a baking tray lined with baking paper 1-2 cm apart. Cover and allow to rise further for another 20 minutes
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Mix cross mixture together. Pipe a cross on top of each bun and bake for 25 minutes.
- Beat glaze together, brush onto tops and pop in the oven for an extra minute.
