my winning plant-based HCBs
a special Good Vibes exclusive for next week's Easter baking
This past week I received an instagram message request from a journalist, pointed in my direction by a fellow food writer friend, asking my ‘professional’ opinion on none other than the holy Hot Cross Bun.
A couple of brief questions followed, asking my thoughts on a savoury hot cross bun (cheese & onion HCBs are apparently out there in the wild, watch out!): whether I’m team hot-cross-experimental, or felt that certain companies and creatives have crossed the hot bun line of fruity Friday spice a step too far.
“Let me know your thoughts!” was the journalist’s closing comment.
Little did she know, and little did I know, that I’m actually quite passionate about the subject of Hot Cross Buns. Promptly I found myself in the midst of a miniature instagram message essay (ie barely finished with my first ‘thought’ and already hitting the text word limit), so I checked myself, and managed to reign it in and share a couple of bullet points on my HCB feelings. And I say FEELINGS because opinions of food are inherently based on feeling (as opposed to thought). It’s hard to find any other topic of discussion that get us as emotionally charged as kai. It universally speaks to the heart, and our opinions of it are layered in experience, culture and whānau. And no food more so than food that is steeped in tradition, like the humble HCB is for many a New Zealander.
If you’re interested, you can check out the article here, which has a snippet of my reply to the journalist. But what it made me reflect on is that Hot Cross Buns at Easter shouldn’t just be about their spiced fruit deliciousness. It’s about food as a symbol of togetherness, a mascot that makes us place greater importance on the occasion (it’s often the visual stimulus of hot cross buns or Easter eggs that gets our minds in the Easter spirit), so that we prioritise connection with friends and whānau, regardless of any religious affinity. So this Easter, I deeply encourage you to make your own HCBs, whether you have your own go-to recipe or you branch out to make my winning plant-based recipe below, and really lean into the making of bed as a time for reflection and thought at this juncture of our year. Preferably bake them as a team effort, with someone you care about, and then share them with those you love. Breaking bread as a vessel for bringing community together is what Easter and HCBs should be all about.
Enjoy,
Alby xx
Vegan hot cross buns
Stoked with warming spices and juicy sultanas, these hot cross buns are a serious breadwinner. They’ve been the mainstay of many an Easter season, and one of the most popular recipes I’ve shared with friends and family over the years. This recipe uses a tangzhong starter - a Japanese technique where a thickened roux made with flour and water is used to make bread extra soft and fluffy. The result is a bun that stays soft and fresh for longer. I’ve intentionally kept the flavours fairly classic, but you can easily mix it up as you please - other dried fruits, candied orange peel, chocolate chips etc. Ensure you use almond milk, as I’ve found that alternatives like oat milk do not activate the yeast as effectively. After a few misfires I’ve created a vegan HCB that always hits the mark. A time for family calls for a recipe where no one misses out.
Hands-on Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
makes 12 buns
Cost Estimate: $7.50 (about $0.65 per bun)
**Recipe extracted from Good Vibes: Eat well with feel-good flavours by Alby Hailes, pg 36-37, published by HarperCollinsNZ**
Ingredients
Tangzhong starter
25g high grade flour
85ml cold water
Dough
240g sultanas
250ml almond milk, heated until warm
10g active dried yeast
40g caster sugar
75g coconut oil
50g almond butter
50g soft brown sugar
450g high grade flour
1 tbsp mixed spice
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cloves
5g sea salt
finely grated zest of 1 orange
Cross paste
85ml cold water
85g plain flour
Orange glaze
65g caster sugar
60ml freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tbsp boiling water
Method
First make the tangzhong starter. Place the flour and water in a small saucepan and whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring regularly, until thickened to a paste. Transfer to a small bowl and leave to cool to room temperature.
To prepare the sultanas, place in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 15 minutes until plump, then drain and leave to cool.
For the hot cross bun dough, whisk the warm almond milk, yeast and caster sugar in a small bowl. Leave for 10-15 minutes in a warm place until frothy to activate the yeast. Combine the coconut oil, almond butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir for a couple of minutes until the almond butter has melted into the oil. Remove from the heat and leave to cool a little.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, ground spices and salt then make a well in the centre. Pour the yeast mixture, almond butter mixture and tangzhong starter into the dry ingredients and gently mix to form a soft, slightly sticky dough. Place the dough on a clean work surface and knead for 10 minutes, until the dough is soft, satiny and elastic. The dough will stick to your hands initially but avoid using any extra flour in the kneading process. Squeeze out any excess liquid from the sultanas and add to the dough with the grated orange zest, kneading until they are well mixed through. Form the dough into a large ball and return to the mixing bowl. Cover with cling film or a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place for 1 ½ - 2 hours, until doubled in size.
Grease a large rectangular baking tin (about 33cm x 23cm) with oil and line with baking paper.
Lightly push down the dough and divide into 12 pieces. On a clean surface, roll each piece of dough into a ball (by lightly pushing and turning the dough with the palm of one hand, cupping it slightly to form a ball). Place the balls into the tin, evenly spaced about 1cm apart (almost touching). Cover loosely with a tea towel and leave for 1 - 1 ½ hours in a warm place, until well risen and the balls are touching each other to fill the tin.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 160°C fan-forced (or 180°C conventional).
To make the cross paste, whisk together the water and flour together to make a reasonably thick but pipeable paste. Transfer the paste to a piping bag with a small round tip and pipe a thin cross onto each bun. Bake for 30 minutes, until a deep golden brown.
For the glaze, while the buns are baking, whisk the glaze ingredients in a small bowl or mug until the sugar has dissolved. As soon as they are removed from the oven, immediately brush the buns with the glaze so that the tops are glossy.
Serve while still slightly warm, or leave to cool to room temperature and serve lightly toasted, by themselves or with your favourite spread. Store in an airtight container.
Alby’s Advice:
It’s vitally important that the temperature is warm enough for your dough to prove properly (which will ensure fluffy and well risen buns). About 25°C - 27°C, preferably in a humid environment (e.g. hot water cupboard, steamed up bathroom etc.) is ideal. You can still make the buns at a lower temperature, but the dough won’t prove as well. If you’re up in Northland you’re lucky as :)
Best of the season this fortnight (NZ):
Avocados
Celery
Brassicas
Beetroot
Tomatoes
Green beans
Aubergines
Late capsicums
New season apples
Figs
Early pears
Brain Food:
an NZ charitable trust doing awesome mahi around food waste reduction - check out their map of the current food waste reduction landscape in Aotearoa
homegrown macadamias, informed by mātauranga Māori
the inside scoop on NZ’s best hot cross bun (other than my recipe, obvs lol)
more cutting edge evidence on how ultra-processed foods are linked to higher rates of mental illness
the latest cookbook I can’t wait to get my hands on
