'Happier' hot cross buns and sourdough paska
Isn't it nice when your baked goods smile at you? :p
These are my 'happier' hot cross buns this year
Tangzhong
100g milk
20g all purpose flour
Dough
All of the TZ
165g milk
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
70g SD discard
55g sugar
6g orange zest
445g all purpose flour
6g salt
3g instant yeast
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
A pinch of nutmeg & allspice
50g unsalted butter
15g light olive oil
Add-ins
50g cranberries
100g raisins
Both were soaked in recently boiled water for 10 minutes, rinse and pat dry.
Cross / Smiley Paste
40g all-purpose flour
30g icing sugar
35g water or milk
1 tsp light olive oil
Glaze: 1 tbsp apricot jam + 2 tsp hot water - brush on freshly baked buns
Bake times at 180°C until the internal temperature reaches at least 93°C
70g buns 20-25 minutes
50g smaller buns 15-20 minutes
I've used the same dough above without the cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg as rolls too. For these, I baked them at a lower temperature 160°C for about 30 minutes.
Next, I made small sourdough paska loaves using my 6" cake pan. The fun part included the origami involved in making the liner [1] for my cake pan. This loaf is another same day bake! :)
6" Sourdough paska loaf
50g starter (100% hydration, doubled in approx 8-10 hours at 20-21°C)
82 to 85g milk
1 large egg
200g all purpose flour
30g sugar
5g lemon & orange zest
3g vanilla extract
4g salt
45g unsalted butter
10g light olive oil
60g raisins & cranberries (soaked and rinsed)
Egg wash
1 large egg
2 tsp milk
A pinch of salt
Glaze
20g water
20g sugar
Mix on low speed every ingredient except salt and butter. Rest 30 minutes.
Add salt and butter, mix on low speed until absorbed. Then increase speed to 2 and mix for 15 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Remove about 100-120g of the dough for the decorative top. Shape this smaller dough into a ball and transfer to a small greased bowl.
To the remaining dough, add the soaked cranberries and raisins. Mix on low speed for about 2 - 3 minutes until the fruits are incorporated evenly into the dough or, stretch and fold until the fruits are incorporated. Then, shape the dough into a ball and place it in a greased bowl.
Stretch and fold both doughs. Cover and let them rest for 30 minutes at 24-26°C.
Stretch and fold the doughs. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes at 24-26°C.
Stretch and fold the doughs. Cover and let them proof for the next 3 hours (24-26°C) or until the dough has increased 30-40% in volume.
Deflate both doughs gently. Form the larger dough into a boule and flatten with a rolling pin to about 5-inch in diameter. Place it in the lined 6” pan. Lightly press the centre to make a slight indentation. Then, brush the top of the dough with egg wash (this helps the decorative strands to stick and stay in place)
With the smaller dough, roll strands of dough to create patterns on the top of the main dough. Dust the strands of dough with flour to prevent overlapping strands from sticking and merging together. Place the desired design on the top of the dough.
Cover and let the assembled dough proof until the dome of the dough is about 2cm from the rim of the pan. This may take 3 - 4 hours at 24-26°C.
Preheat the oven to 190°C about 30 minutes before bake time. Brush the top of the paska with egg wash.
Place the paska in the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 180°C. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches at least 93°C.
Prepare the sugar glaze: bring water and sugar to a boil. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved. Reduce heat to low and let the syrup simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and brush the syrup over freshly baked paska.
Remove the loaf to a cooling rack and let it cool completely before slicing.
Happy Easter! ;)
- Christi