Recipe: Plant-based Hot Cross Buns
A classic Easter favourite with a plant-based twist – we love this recipe for delicious and fluffy Hot Cross Buns.
They’re so easy to make and a great activity for children to help measure, stir, and decorate any way they would like!
Hot Cross Buns Ingredients (makes 8):
For the buns:
- 300ml unsweetened almond milk
- 50g dairy-free spread
- 500g strong white bread flour
- 7g sachet fast action yeast
- 70g golden caster sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 heaped tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 heaped tsp mixed spice
- 1 large orange, zested
- 70g sultanas
- 50g mixed peel
For the cross:
- 70g plain flour
For the glaze:
- 50g apricot jam
Hot Cross Buns Method :
- Put the almond milk in a saucepan over a medium heat. Once simmering, add the spread, remove from the heat and allow to melt. Set aside to cool to hand temperature.
- Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and spices in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk mixture, swiftly combining with a wooden spoon to create a sticky dough. Tip out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface.
- Knead the dough by stretching it back and forth on the surface for 5 – 7 mins or until smooth, springy and elastic. Shape into a ball and put into a lightly oiled mixing bowl. Cover and leave in a warm spot to rise, for 1hr or until doubled in size.
- Turn the dough back onto the surface and flatten into a round. Spread the orange zest, sultanas and mixed peel onto the dough and knead again until everything is well distributed. Form into a ball, return to the bowl, cover and leave to rise for another hour.
- Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Knock the dough back by turning it out onto your surface and gently punching out the air. Divide the dough into 12 even-sized pieces, weighing for accuracy if you like. Roll each one into a ball. Arrange the buns on the baking sheet, leaving a 2cm space between each one. Cover with lightly oiled cling film and leave to rise for 45 mins.
- Heat the oven to 220C/ 200 fan/. To make the cross, in a small bowl, mix together the flour with 1 tbsp of water at a time to create a thick, pipeable paste. Spoon it into a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle and pipe crosses on the buns. Transfer to the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 15-20 mins or until deep golden brown.
- Meanwhile, gently heat the jam in a small saucepan over a low heat to loosen. Pass through a sieve to remove any lumps. Once cooked, brush the warm jam over the tops of the buns. Set aside to cool a little before eating.
- Enjoy!
We offer Preschoolers fresh meals and snacks prepared onsite daily in our commercial-grade kitchen by our trained and passionate cook, all included in our daily fees. Our menu is 100% plant based, entirely free of animal products. The snacks and meals have been thoughtfully developed to appeal to children, but most importantly to be perfectly nutritionally balanced for children aged 2-6.
Our cook has crafted rotating seasonal menus in partnership with a registered dietitian and in consultation with Australian government guidelines for optimum age-appropriate nutrition. Our menu was also awarded the Excellence in Food & Menu Design award at the 2022 Excellence In Early Childhood Education Awards. This award recognised the hard work of our team to provide well-balanced, nutritious, and delicious food, that is considerate of the individual needs of children, allergies, sensitivities and cultures.
At Sustainable Play we encourage children to learn where their food comes from and to empower them with the tools to eat sustainably while being thoughtful to our planet and its animals. Children are encouraged to participate in planting, growing, and tending to fresh produce in the preschool garden – harvesting, helping prepare, cook, and then continuing the cycle by composting leftovers to be later used to feed our garden plants.[/ultimate_heading]