Classic British Easter buns with warm spices and dried fruit. Without the cross, these are traditional “tea buns” that can be baked year-round.

Ingredients

Dough

  • 50 g margarine
  • 2.5 dl plant milk
  • 1 dl aquafaba
  • 50 g fresh yeast (or 10 g dry yeast)
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 0.75 dl sugar
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp ginger
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 krm cloves
  • 1 krm ground coriander
  • 8-9 dl wheat flour (500-560 g)
  • 100 g sultanas
  • 50 g candied citrus peel

Cross Glaze

  • 1 dl wheat flour
  • 4-6 tbsp water

Brushing

  • 2 tbsp maple syrup, apricot jam, or golden syrup

Instructions

  1. Make dough: Melt margarine, add milk and aquafaba. Warm to finger temperature. Whisk together.

  2. Add yeast: Crumble in fresh yeast (or sprinkle dry yeast) and stir to dissolve.

  3. Season: Add lemon zest, sugar, salt, and all spices. Gradually add flour until dough becomes fairly firm.

  4. Add fruit: Mix in sultanas and candied peel.

  5. Knead: Knead 10-15 minutes in a stand mixer or 15-20 minutes by hand, adding flour as needed to keep dough smooth. The dough needs more flour the longer it’s kneaded.

  6. First rise: Let rise in a warm place for 40-60 minutes until doubled.

  7. Shape: Punch down dough and divide into 12 pieces. Shape into balls.

  8. Arrange: Place on baking sheet with several cm between for individual buns, or 1-2 cm apart for pull-apart style.

  9. Second rise: Let rise 30-40 minutes until well risen.

  10. Preheat oven:

    • Individual buns: 225°C conventional / 200°C convection
    • Close-packed buns: 200°C conventional / 175°C convection

  11. Make crosses: Mix flour with enough water to make a thick, pipeable paste. Transfer to a piping bag.

  12. Pipe crosses: When buns are risen, pipe a cross on each bun.

  13. Bake: Bake in middle of oven for 15-20 minutes depending on size.

  14. Glaze: Brush immediately with maple syrup while still hot. If using regular syrup or apricot jam, mix with a little boiling water first to make it brushable.

Notes

Fruit amount: Recipes vary widely from 80g to over 200g of raisins. Double the sultanas if you love them, or replace 50g with a small peeled, cored, diced apple.

Tea buns: Skip the cross glaze for year-round tea buns.

Close-packed vs separate: Buns baked close together need lower temperature so the inside cooks through before the outside over-browns.

Traditional glazing: Apricot jam or golden syrup are more traditional than maple syrup, but maple is easiest to use.

Source: Kakboken