Nutella Swirl Hot Cross Buns
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 30 minutes plus 3.5 hours rising time
Cooking time: 30 minutes
- 3 3/4 cups bread flour
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon instant dried yeast
- 60g/2ozs. butter, cubed and soft
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup Nutella
- Beaten egg for glaze
For crosses
- 50g/1.7ozs. white chocolate
Step 1 - Make the tangzhong first. Take 1/6 a cup of the total quantity of flour and whisk with 1/2 cup water until smooth. Heat on the stove on medium heat until it reaches 65C/149F. Add in milk and honey and bring the temperature down to 45C/113F and then whisk in the eggs.
Step 2 - In the bowl of an electric mixer mix the remaining flour with the yeast and then add the tangzhong mixture and mix until shaggy. Fit the dough hook and knead on very low until elastic. Add in the butter and keep kneading until you get the window pane effect where you can pull the dough gently apart without it breaking-this can take anything from 9-12 minutes or even longer. Shape into a ball without any cracks and cover and place in a warm place for 40 minutes (I put it in another bowl filled with hot water changing it twice).
Step 3 - When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and knead in the salt and place in the fridge for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 180C/350F and flour a large clean surface and have 2 loaf tins ready or 1 square or round tin ready and lined with parchment. Divide the dough in two lots to make rolling easier. Roll out one lot of dough to become a large rectangle (around 35x20cm (14x8inch) and then fold into three parts like a business letter. Repeat again.
Step 4 - Then on the third go spread a thin layer of Nutella all over the dough rectangle and then roll up lengthways. Cut into inch thick slices (I got 2 lots of 6 buns) and place cut side up. Allow to rise until at least double in size. Glaze with beaten egg. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool.
Step 5 - To make the crosses melt the white chocolate and place into a piping bag and pipe crosses on top of the buns.