Make Soft and Sweet Hot Cross Bun Sourdough Bread | The Perfect Holiday Recipe
Ahhh, Hot Cross Bun Bread, the aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom wafting through your kitchen is enough to make any holiday celebration extra special. While some recipes call for store-bought ingredients that taste great but lack the homemade appeal, this soft and sweet hot cross bun sourdough recipe delivers a fragrant treat with a luxurious texture. Enjoyed on its own or as part of a larger meal, this luscious bread will bring comfort and joy to your home over the holidays. From prep time to baking time, let me show you how easy this recipe can be!
I've always had a deep fondness for British culture, especially when it comes to their desserts. The rich history of the Hot Cross Bun is one that I can really appreciate and feel connected to. Even though many associates this delectable treat with Easter and Christian observances, the cross symbol is seen across multiple cultures worldwide. No matter which way you look at it, the Hot Cross Bun is a classic sweet treat that I consider myself blessed to be affiliated with due to my partial British heritage. Whether you’ve grown up on them or are just now learning about them, these deserve a place in our lives as they celebrate beauty and tradition locked within their sugary deliciousness. With all that being said, till next time, tuck in!
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Recipe
The flavors are comforting and even better than a traditional hot cross bun.
Using your sourdough to create a unique recipe like this makes it even more special.
The naturally chewy texture of sourdough bread against the fruits is pleasant.
Although traditionally served at Easter, the flavors remind me of Christmastime, too.
Make Soft and Sweet Hot Cross Bun Sourdough Bread | The Perfect Holiday Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- What is a levain? A levain is an off-shoot of your sourdough starter. This will help perk your sourdough starter, so it has an excellent strength to leaven your bread.
- Add 30 grams of your sourdough starter to 130 milliliters of warm filtered water at 100°F. Mix the sourdough starter into the water until the water turns milky and is dissolved well.
- Add in the flour and mix everything well.
- Place the levain into a small glass bowl with a tight lid to prevent it from drying out, and let it sit on your kitchen counter overnight.
- The following day it should be doubled in size and bubbly. Then, it is ready to use. The time from when this will happen will vary depending on the age of your starter and the temperature in your home. As long as it has doubled, you are good to go!
- What is Autolyse? This is an essential and straightforward step of soaking the flour in water and any other liquids in the recipe. It helps your dough create a perfect gluten structure and gives the flour enough time to absorb the liquid.
- Add the 460 grams of bread flour, orange zest, and spices to a large ceramic bowl, followed by 105 milliliters of filtered water and the heavy cream.
- Mix the ingredients as best as possible. The dough may look scraggy, which is perfectly ok and normal.
- Cover the bowl and let it sit aside to autolyse for an hour.
- Add all the levain and sugar to the dough and mix in the levain very well.
- You can be rough at this point to mix in the levain however you see fit. I dimple my fingers deep into the dough to form pockets and then knead it until incorporated.
- Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Mix 12 grams of salt with 20 milliliters of filtered water in a small bowl, then pour the mixture over the dough.
- Dimple your fingers all over the dough as you did when adding the levain, and knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball.
- Set aside for 30 minutes.
- What is a Coil Fold?
- A coil fold is a strengthening action used to develop gluten in bread. It is my preferred method over the stretch and folds maneuver as, in my experience, it creates better fermentation throughout the entire dough.
- How to perform a Coil Fold?
- To perform a coil fold, dampen your hands slightly and scoop the middle of the dough up with both hands until the dough has been released from the container at one end. Then, gently lower the dough to allow the loosened end to tuck under the middle, and repeat the process with the other side. The dough should now look coiled or folded over underneath itself. Next, rotate the bowl that your dough is in by 90 degrees, and repeat this process until the dough no longer stretches and holds its shape.
- Any dough additions would also need to be incorporated in this step and during the first coil fold, so please make sure to add the soaked and drained raisins and currants in this step.
- Let rest for 30 minutes.
- What is Bulk Rise in Sourdough?
- This is how long it will take for your dough to grow optimally. Sourdough rises slower, but you are looking for your dough to increase to about 1 1/2 - 2 times its size throughout your stretch or coil folds. Some recipes will call for fewer stretch or coil folds; the remaining time after that is waiting for the dough to rise and get bubbly before shaping. This can take anywhere from 8-10 hours at a room temperature of 68°F, 5-6 hours at a room temperature of 75°F, and 3-4 hours at 80°F. Use this schedule as a guide based on your home's temperature and the look and feel of your sourdough to judge when it is ready to be shaped.
- Perform a second coil fold and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Perform a third coil fold and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Perform a fourth coil fold and let the dough rise until it has almost doubled in size and is bubbly and jiggles in the bowl. This can take 8-10 hours at a room temperature of 68°F, 5-6 hours at 75°F, and 3-4 hours at 80°F from the start of your first stretch and fold. My home is usually set to 68°F all year round, so the schedule after this step is based on that. Adjust accordingly.
- A Nice Trick: Sometimes, not knowing when your dough has proofed enough, especially if you are unfamiliar with how it should feel and look, can be frustrating. Take a laser thermometer and point it at the center of the dough. Once it has reached 78°F, it is ready to be shaped and placed into the banneton prepared for a nice long cold ferment in the fridge overnight.
- Very lightly oil or flour a clean counter. Use just enough oil to provide some slip between your hand and the surface, about a teaspoon or two. If you are more comfortable flouring the surface instead, you may.
- Flip the dough onto the counter and let it sit covered gently for 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare your banneton by sprinkling on a fine layer of rice flour so your bread won't stick to it. Set aside.
- Fold one side of the dough towards the middle, and then grab each corner of the piece your just folded and fold those inward towards the center.
- Grab the unfolded section and fold it towards the center of the dough, slightly overlapping the side you just folded.
- Fold the dough in half and place it seam-side down back onto your oiled or floured surface.
- Cup your hands and hold the outer edge of the dough furthest away from you.
- Push the dough towards your body with cupped hands and repeat this motion until the top of the dough feels nice and tight and has no tears.
- Place the smooth dough side down, seam side up in your floured Banneton.
- Carefully seam the seams together in a stitching motion to tighten the dough in the banneton.
- Cover the banneton lightly with a clean towel and place it in the fridge to bulk ferment overnight.
- Preheat your oven to 446°F and place a sheet tray on the bottom rack of the oven to preheat.
- Place your dough out of the fridge onto a room-temperature parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Score the dough as desired using a bread lame. This is an essential step as the air you have developed in your sourdough needs somewhere to go and leaven your bread.
- Place the dough into the oven on the middle rack.
- Immediately place two handfuls of ice onto the tray preheated in the oven on the lower rack.
- Bake the bread for 30 minutes, then turn the heat down to 395°F, and bake for 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 205-210°F.
- Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool for 3-5 hours before cutting it. Sourdough bread takes this long to cool fully. As it is thoroughly cooling, it is still cooking on the inside. If you miss it too soon, the bread may be gummy. But it is worth the wait!
- Now you can safely slice your bread and enjoy it for lunch or dinner. Happy eating!
Notes
Sourdough Starters: This recipe has been tested for all hydration starters. You do not need a Lievito Madre, a stiffer sourdough starter, to make this bread. Follow the exact measurements throughout. If you are new to sourdough and need a starter, view my post on making a Lievito Madre. It is one of the best, healthiest, and most robust starters possible.
Yield Amount: The yield amount will vary based on how thick or thin your slice your bread.
Sourdough Schedule: You can easily adjust the timing on this schedule to fit within your schedule as long as you keep the hours between each step the same. For example, if you want to start your bread at 8:00 AM instead of 9:00 AM, move every step back one hour.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
223.4Carbs
43.65 gCholesterol
8.83 mgFat
3.55 gFiber
1.76 gNet carbs
41.89 gProtein
4.91 gSat. Fat
1.94 gSodium
7.62 mgSugar
10.51 gPlease note that the nutritional information on this website is calculated using online tools and may need to be more accurate. Use it as a rough guide only. We cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage caused by relying solely on this data. You are responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information you use is accurate and useful. For more information, click here.
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