Sourdough fig hot cross buns with walnut honey butter

It’s Easter and my first attempt at making HXBs, and sourdough ones for that matter! This recipe is definitely a labour of love due to the fact sourdough isn’t as powerful as commercial yeast, but I figured if you’ve already got a sourdough starter to make this recipe you’re half way there. Consider it the ideal baking project to keep you busy over Easter.

Let me start off by saying I did take a shortcut the first time round making this recipe by eliminating the preferment stage. A preferment is essentially a portion of the dough that is mixed in advance and allowed to ferment, then incorporated with the remaining ingredients. Since this is an enriched dough with eggs and butter, this dedicated fermentation window allows flavour, aroma and overall texture to improve before adding any fat. You’ll be happy to hear you do also gain some time back as the dough gets a bit of a kickstart on the rising process. This is because as soon as any fat is added, it impedes on the rising time.

If you need any more convincing, the two pictures below highlight this recipe without the preferment stage, and after. None of the ingredients or quantities changed whatsoever between the two pictures, other than adding in another sneaky step along the way. I should add that the left picture still yielded a perfectly delicious hot cross bun without the preferment stage, but I had my heart set on a lighter crumb which is my preference in a HXB.

I’ve also included a tangzhong in the recipe, cooking a portion of the flour and liquid with the aromatics which results in even fluffier and soft bread; gently heating the citrus zest and cinnamon also intensifies the flavour in the baked HXBs.

Feel free to swap the figs for sultanas or any other dried fruit that takes your fancy, I just love the combination of fig and walnut which worked really well in these sourdough buns.

INGREDIENTS

For the tangzhong

45g milk

45g water

15g flour 

Zest of 1 lemon

Zest of 1 orange

1 tsp ground cinnamon 

For the preferment 

All of the tangzhong from above 

207g plain flour 

200g active sourdough starter (100% hydration) 

5g caster sugar

Final dough

All of the preferment from above 

1 egg

100g milk

207g flour 

50g caster sugar 

1 tsp salt

150g dried figs, chopped to sultana size 

55g butter, left at room temp for a few hours until very soft

For the cross

75g flour

75ml water

For the glaze

1 tbsp honey and 1 tbsp boiling water mixed together

For the walnut honey butter (optional)

100g salted or unsalted butter, softened

50g toasted walnuts, finely chopped

1 tbsp honey

METHOD

Day one, 9 or 10pm 

Weigh out all the ingredients for the tangzhong in a saucepan. Whisk continuously over a medium heat until the mixture thickens and becomes like a paste, about 2-3 minutes.

Mix the tangzhong ingredients in a mixing bowl with all the preferment ingredients. It may seem a little dry but don’t worry, use the heat from your hands to incorporate all the dry bits and it will soon come together. 

Leave overnight for around 8-9 hours, or if following your own schedule you can leave it in a warm place (around 26C) and leave for about 4. The dough should be lighter and puffy, almost doubled in size. If you have a cool kitchen like mine, take the butter out of the fridge now to come up to room temperature so it’s all ready to go in the morning.

Day 2, 8am

Whisk together the milk and egg in a mixing bowl. Roughly tear the preferment into small pieces and add to the milk and egg mixture, alongside the flour, salt, chopped figs and sugar. Mix together briefly before kneading by hand or in a stand mixer on a slow speed for around 8 minutes. With the mixer still on, add a teaspoon of the butter, only adding more once the last piece has been absorbed - the same if kneading by hand. 

Place back in the mixing bowl and leave to prove in a warm place (26C ideal temp) for around 4 hours or until doubled in size. 

Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll into balls. Flatten them very slightly onto two baking paper lined trays, placing them fairly close together if you want that signature ‘tear’ or further apart for a neater finish. Prove in a warm place for another 2 hours or until doubled in size.

Alternatively, at this step you can allow the dough to start proving for an hour in a warm place then finish out its prove in the fridge overnight, baking the buns the following morning. 

Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan. 

For the topping, add the flour to a bowl and gradually whisk in the water. Spoon into a piping bag or a plastic bag with the bottom snipped off.

Slowly pipe a thin line of paste horizontally and vertically across the buns to form a cross on each one. Make sure you pipe all the way to the bottom to cover the whole bun.

Place the trays in the preheated oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until golden. 

Once cool enough to handle, transfer the buns to a cooling rack and brush the honey glaze over each bun.

If using, serve with the honey walnut butter by combining the butter, walnuts and honey. Add more honey or salt as desired.