Hot Cross Buns - Rohi Rīpeka (Overnight Version)
Delicious overnight hot cross buns steeped in deep flavour of spice, orange, dark chocolate and cranberries.
Servings 12 buns
Equipment
- 1 x 25 cm x 35 cm baking tray with 3 cm high sides.
Ingredients
The Spiced Dough - Te Pokenga Raukikini
- ¾ C (185 ml) miraka aromahana (lukewarm milk)
- ⅔ C (165 ml) wai wera (hot water, from the tap)
- ⅔ C (145 g) huka (sugar, any kind will work)
- 2 ½ tablespoon (20 g) Surebake or bread makers yeast or 1 tablespoon (10 g) īhi horo (instant yeast).
- 4 C (600 g) puehu parāoa kounga (high grade flour)
- 2 (90 g) hēki iti (small eggs, size 6)
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) iho hūperei (vanilla essence)
- 1 rounded tsp raukikini katoa (allspice)
- 1 ¼ rounded tbsp raukikini whakauruuru (mixed spice)
- 1 ¼ rounded tbsp hinamona (cinnamon)
- 2 teaspoon (10 g) tote (salt, fine)
- 2 tablespoon kiri ārani pīrahirahi (finely grated orange zest or mandarin zest)
- ¼ C (60 ml) wai ārani (orange juice) or wai manarini (mandarin juice)
- 80 g pata kūteretere (softened butter)
- 130 g tiakarete parauri kua tapahia (chopped dark chocolate, 50%) You can add extra if you like a stronger chocolate bun.
- ⅔ C karanipere kua tapahia (chopped cranberries)
The Crosses - Ngā Rīpeka
- ⅓ C (50 g) puehu parāoa kounga (high grade flour)
- 1 tablespoon huka (sugar)
- 1 teaspoon pēkana paura (baking powder)
- ¼ C (60 ml) wai (water)
The Glaze - Te Mōhinuhinu
- 30 g pata (butter)
- ¼ C marahihi māpere (maple syrup). This can be swapped with apricot jam or honey.
Instructions
Activate the Yeast:
- Add the miraka aromahana (lukewarm milk), wai wera (hot water) and huka (sugar) in to a large bowl.
- Stir it really well, making the sugar has dissolved because if it isn't, it can stop the īhi (yeast) from activating properly.
- Add the īhi (yeast) and mix it in well.
- If you are using surebake it will take 10 - 15 mins to activate and become foamy. If you are using īhi tere (instant yeast), it will take 5 - 10 minutes to activate.
Add the Dry Ingredients, Eggs and Butter:
- Add the puehu parāoa (flour), hēki (eggs), iho hūperei (vanilla), raukikini katoa (allspice), raukikini whakauruuru (mixed spice), hinamona (cinnamon), tote (salt), kiri ārani (orange zest), wai ārani (orange juice) and pata (butter).
- Stir it with a knife until a rough dough comes together and then it is time to knead.
Knead The Dough:
- If you are using a mixer, place the dough in the mixing bowl. Using a dough hook, knead for 10 minutes on low-medium speed. The dough is much looser than some recipes but you can 1 - 2 tablespoons of extra flour if you want to.
- If you are kneading by hand, knead the dough with the palms of your hands (not fingers) for 12 - 14 minutes. Again, the dough will be sticky but you can slowly add up to ¼ cup of extra flour as you knead, if you want.
Add the Chocolate and Cranberries:
- After the dough has been kneaded well, stretch it out to a rough square.
- Sprinkle over the tiakarete (chocolate) and karanipere (cranberries), fold it in from the edges and knead it by hand until it is distributed well.
First Rise (on the bench):
- Add it a bowl, cover it with a tea towel or a bowl cover and leave it to rise on the bench for one hour.
Second Rise (in the fridge):
- After it has risen for an hour on the bench, place it in the fridge for 8 - 16 hours to slowly rise.
Prepare the Baking Tray:
- The next day, line a 25 cm x 35 cm tray with baking paper. Note: Use a tray as close to this size as possible so the buns rise close together, creating softer buns. Trust me, it makes a difference.
Divide the Dough in to 12 pieces:
- Tip the risen dough on to the bench and cut in to 12 equal pieces. Use a scale for accuracy here or eye ball it (which is what I often do).
Shape the Overnight Hot Cross Buns (The Next Day):
- Roll each of the pieces of dough in to balls, tucking the tiakarete (chocolate) inside the dough so it melts inside the buns.
- Don't use extra flour when you roll the buns as it prevents the ease of rolling. Refer to the video on how to roll the buns.
- Place the rolled buns in to the tray, making sure there is even space between each one.
Third and Final Rise:
- Once all the buns are in the tray, cover them with a tea towel.
- Rise for 2 hours on the bench. The reason this rise is so long is because we have put the yeast to sleep in the fridge so stick to this time.
- 15 minutes before the rising time is up, preheat the oven and prepare the crosses batter.
Preheat the Oven:
- Preheat the oven to 175 °C bake setting or 165 °C fan bake setting.
Make the Cross Batter:
- Add the puehu parāoa (flour), huka (sugar), pēkana paura (baking powder) and wai (water) in to a small bowl. Whakaranuhia kia māene (mix until smooth).
Pipe the Crosses on to the Buns:
- Five to ten minutes before baking, add the mixture to a piping bag and pipe the crosses on to the risen buns.
Bake the Overnight Hot Cross Buns:
- Once the rising time is up, slide them in to the oven.
- Bake for 35 - 40 minutes and then check if they are cooked. If the buns spring back when pressed on the underside of the buns, they are ready. If the dough stay pressed in, bake for five more minutes.
Make the Glaze:
- As they bake prepare the simple mōhinuhinu (glaze).
- Gently melt the pata (butter) in a small pot on the stove or in a small heat proof bowl in the microwave.Then stir through the marahihi māpere (maple syrup).
Glaze the Buns:
- Remove the baked buns from the oven and brush the mōhinuhinu (glaze) all over with a pastry brush.
Serve the Overnight Hot Cross Buns:
- Enjoy warm as they are with a good smear of Whipped Vanilla Butter or Whipped Brown Butter for that extra touch.
Store the Hot Cross Buns:
- These are always going to be best eaten fresh from the oven. However, they can be stored in a plastic bag or container on the bench overnight. Slice them and toast them the next day or warm them in the microwave for 10 seconds.
- Beyond a day, store them in a plastic bag and freeze for up to three months. Make sure to heat them to bring them back to life.