⚠️ Untested Recipe: This recipe hasn’t been tested yet. Measurements and instructions may need adjustment.

Classic British Easter buns with warm spices and dried fruit. Without the cross, these are traditional “tea buns” that can be baked year-round.

Ingredients

Dough

  • 50 g margarine
  • 2.5 dl plant milk
  • 1 dl aquafaba
  • 50 g fresh yeast (or 10 g dry yeast)
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 0.75 dl sugar
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp ginger
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 krm cloves
  • 1 krm ground coriander
  • 8-9 dl wheat flour (500-560 g)
  • 100 g sultanas
  • 50 g candied citrus peel

Cross Glaze

  • 1 dl wheat flour
  • 4-6 tbsp water

Brushing

  • 2 tbsp maple syrup, apricot jam, or golden syrup

Instructions

  1. Make dough: Melt margarine, add milk and aquafaba. Warm to finger temperature. Whisk together.

  2. Add yeast: Crumble in fresh yeast (or sprinkle dry yeast) and stir to dissolve.

  3. Season: Add lemon zest, sugar, salt, and all spices. Gradually add flour until dough becomes fairly firm.

  4. Add fruit: Mix in sultanas and candied peel.

  5. Knead: Knead 10-15 minutes in a stand mixer or 15-20 minutes by hand, adding flour as needed to keep dough smooth. The dough needs more flour the longer it’s kneaded.

  6. First rise: Let rise in a warm place for 40-60 minutes until doubled.

  7. Shape: Punch down dough and divide into 12 pieces. Shape into balls.

  8. Arrange: Place on baking sheet with several cm between for individual buns, or 1-2 cm apart for pull-apart style.

  9. Second rise: Let rise 30-40 minutes until well risen.

  10. Preheat oven:

    • Individual buns: 225°C conventional / 200°C convection
    • Close-packed buns: 200°C conventional / 175°C convection

  11. Make crosses: Mix flour with enough water to make a thick, pipeable paste. Transfer to a piping bag.

  12. Pipe crosses: When buns are risen, pipe a cross on each bun.

  13. Bake: Bake in middle of oven for 15-20 minutes depending on size.

  14. Glaze: Brush immediately with maple syrup while still hot. If using regular syrup or apricot jam, mix with a little boiling water first to make it brushable.

Notes

Fruit amount: Recipes vary widely from 80g to over 200g of raisins. Double the sultanas if you love them, or replace 50g with a small peeled, cored, diced apple.

Tea buns: Skip the cross glaze for year-round tea buns.

Close-packed vs separate: Buns baked close together need lower temperature so the inside cooks through before the outside over-browns.

Traditional glazing: Apricot jam or golden syrup are more traditional than maple syrup, but maple is easiest to use.

Source: Kakboken