A Hot Cross Bun is traditionally eaten on Good Friday in many parts of the world. Vegan Hot Cross Buns | Vegan Easter Hot Cross Buns are mildly spiced, slightly sweet and studded with dry fruits with a cross on the top. These buns mark the end of Lent, a traditional time for fasting and/ or abstinence. 

Vegan Hot Cross Buns | Vegan Easter Hot Cross Buns

As I mentioned that the Vegan Hot Cross Buns | Vegan Easter Hot Cross Buns mark the end of the Lent, every part of these buns represent certain meanings too. The cross on the top is for the crucifixion of Jesus and the spices added stand for the embalming of his body at the time of his burial. So these buns are very significant. I am sure there is much more behind the history of these delicious buns but I am only going to talk about the things I know. Since I am not Catholic myself but having attended a Catholic school for the first 15 years of my life, I have a fondness for the customs and the rich history behind their practices.

Vegan Hot Cross Buns | Vegan Easter Hot Cross Buns

Vegan Hot Cross Buns | Vegan Easter Hot Cross Buns can be enjoyed with some honey, maple syrup or with jam and butter, just the way I did! My hubby on the other hand likes them plain with some tea or coffee. He says the spices and the raisins are just perfect and need no toppings. So, you see, you can choose how to enjoy them. I had made the Traditional Hot Cross Buns, with eggs earlier so I tried the Vegan ones with homemade dinner roll recipe, just turned it vegan. And the results were awesome! The vegan buns turned out to be extremely soft and very flavorful too.

Vegan Hot Cross Buns | Vegan Easter Hot Cross Buns

As I had mentioned in my Traditional Hot Cross Buns post, I first baked them almost a year and a half ago and not around Easter. I baked them because we got talking about Goa, my hubby has spent a few years there and loves the food to bits!! So he suddenly remembers these Easter Buns that he learnt to bake during his first year in college, obviously he wanted me to make them because he had such a craving!! Lol! So I tried it after a few days using Joy of Baking’s recipe, yes because he only knows what he had learnt but doesn’t remember one ingredient or recipe, hehe! The Easter Buns did turn out delicious! So I kept that recipe handy and made some changes in the quantities to make a smaller batch, which were so delicious. Absolutely melt in the mouth good. Little did I know that the Vegan ones will turn out even more delicious.

These Vegan Hot Cross Buns | Vegan Easter Hot Cross Buns are surprisingly easy to make if you try these, mildly sweet and studded with some dry fruits, they are one of our favorite breads so far! The crumb is moist and yet very distinct as you can see in the picture below.

Vegan Hot Cross Buns | Vegan Easter Hot Cross Buns

Please do note that I have small batches here just enough for 2 persons, you can double the recipe or even triple it for a larger batch. Let us bake some Vegan Hot Cross Easter Buns! They are very easy to make and you’ll need very basic ingredients from your pantry.

These steps are for active dry yeast –
Take 1/4 cup of warm water in a glass or bowl, add the yeast & sugar. Stir it lightly. Set it aside for 10 minutes to let the yeast bloom. (Note that if the water is too hot, the yeast won’t bloom. So be careful with the water. If the yeast doesn’t bloom, start again).
For making the dough add the flour in the bowl, season with salt, cinnamon powder and powdered sugar.
Add the oil and slowly add the yeast mixture.
Do not add all the yeast mixture at one go as we may end up with a very gluey and wet dough.
Keep adding a little bit at a time and make a dough.
Add the rest of the 1/4 cup of warm water too, slowly and keep kneading. We may not need all of the water, so use it as and when you feel the dough drying up. Click here for stepwise pictures.

These steps are for instant yeast – 
For making the dough add the flour in the bowl, season with salt, cinnamon powder and powdered sugar.
Add the oil and add the instant yeast.

Vegan Hot Cross Buns | Vegan Easter Hot Cross Buns
Slowly add the warm water, a little at a time and knead a dough.
We may not need all of the water, so use it as and when you feel the dough drying up.

These steps are for every kind of yeast –
The dough needs to be tacky and not extremely sticky. remove the dough on the work surface.

Vegan Hot Cross Buns | Vegan Easter Hot Cross Buns
Knead for about 8-10 minutes.
You can add some more flour if it’s the dough is still too sticky and again knead it well. The longer you knead it, the smoother and softer it will be. (avoid adding too much flour, that will make the buns too hard, I added just 1 tsp.)
Smoothen the dough with more oil. (I added about 1 tsp more oil.)

Vegan Hot Cross Buns | Vegan Easter Hot Cross Buns
Once the dough has become smooth, place it the greased bowl for it’s first rise/ prove. I gave it approximately 50 mins or so.

Vegan Hot Cross Buns | Vegan Easter Hot Cross Buns
The dough almost doubled after 50 minutes.
Then I gently punched down the dough and released the air within.
Add in the sultanas and some tutti frutti (optional) and kneaded them into the dough.

Vegan Hot Cross Buns | Vegan Easter Hot Cross Buns Vegan Hot Cross Buns | Vegan Easter Hot Cross Buns

I, then greased my hands and divided the dough into 4 equal parts (used a weighing scale for this)

Vegan Hot Cross Buns | Vegan Easter Hot Cross Buns.
Grease the baking tin with oil and place the divided dough in it. Shaped them and brushed each portion with some oil.

Vegan Hot Cross Buns | Vegan Easter Hot Cross Buns Vegan Hot Cross Buns | Vegan Easter Hot Cross Buns
Then I left them for the second rise/ prove in the tin for 30 mins.

Vegan Hot Cross Buns | Vegan Easter Hot Cross Buns

Mix together the flour and water to make the paste for making the cross. Fill it in a small piping bag and make the crosses.

Vegan Hot Cross Buns | Vegan Easter Hot Cross Buns Vegan Hot Cross Buns | Vegan Easter Hot Cross Buns
Preheat the oven at 200’c for 10 mins. Place the tin on the middle rack and bake the Pav for 20 mins @ 200’c using both the upper and the lower heating coil/ rods/ elements.
Please note every oven works differently hence adjust the temperature and duration according to that.

Vegan Hot Cross Buns | Vegan Easter Hot Cross Buns

I brushed them with some more oil as they came out the oven. You can even brush them with some melted apricot preserve. These buns stay fresh for about 2 days at room temperature when stored in an airtight container.

Vegan Hot Cross Buns | Vegan Easter Hot Cross Buns

Vegan Hot Cross Buns | Vegan Easter Hot Cross Buns

These buns are delicious, studded with dry fruits, mildly spiced and sweet with the tradition cross marked over each bun. They mark the end of Lent. I have shared my version of vegan Hot Cross Buns, do try them. 

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Easter, Side Dish
Cuisine British
Prep Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 4 buns
Author Shreya Ashish Tiwari

Ingredients

  • 1+1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp granulated sugar if using active dry yeast
  • 3/4 tsp instant yeast you can use active dry yeast
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 3 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup warm water not scaldingly hot
  • 2 tbsp oil plus extra to grease and brush
  • 2 tbsp black sultanas
  • 2 tbsp flour + 2 tsp plain water to make the paste

Instructions

These steps are for active dry yeast -

  1. Take 1/4 cup of warm water in a glass or bowl, add the yeast & sugar. Stir it lightly. Set it aside for 10 minutes to let the yeast bloom. (Note that if the water is too hot, the yeast won't bloom. So be careful with the water. If the yeast doesn't bloom, start again).

  2. For making the dough add the flour in the bowl, season with salt, cinnamon powder and powdered sugar.

  3. For making the dough add the flour in the bowl, season with salt, cinnamon powder and powdered sugar.

    Add the oil and slowly add the yeast mixture.

  4. Do not add all the yeast mixture at one go as we may end up with a very gluey and wet dough. Keep adding a little bit at a time and make a dough.

  5. Add the rest of the 1/4 cup of warm water too, slowly and keep kneading. We may not need all of the water, so use it as and when you feel the dough drying up. Click here for stepwise pictures.

These steps are for instant yeast -

  1. For making the dough add the flour in the bowl, season with salt, cinnamon powder and powdered sugar. Add the oil and add the instant yeast.

  2. Slowly add the warm water, a little at a time and knead a dough. We may not need all of the water, so use it as and when you feel the dough drying up.

These steps are for every kind of yeast -

  1. The dough needs to be tacky and not extremely sticky. remove the dough on the work surface. Knead for about 8-10 minutes.

  2. You can add some more flour if it's the dough is still too sticky and again knead it well. The longer you knead it, the smoother and softer it will be. (avoid adding too much flour, that will make the buns too hard, I added just 1 tsp.)

  3. Smoothen the dough with more oil. (I added about 1 tsp more oil.)

  4. Once the dough has become smooth, place it the greased bowl for it's first rise/ prove. I gave it approximately 50 mins or so. The dough almost doubled after 50 minutes.

  5. Then I gently punched down the dough and released the air within.

  6. Add in the sultanas and some tutti frutti (optional) and kneaded them into the dough.

  7. I, then greased my hands and divided the dough into 4 equal parts (used a weighing scale for this)

  8. Grease the baking tin with oil and place the divided dough in it. Shaped them and brushed each portion with some oil.

  9. Then I left them for the second rise/ prove in the tin for 30 mins.

  10. Mix together the flour and water to make the paste for making the cross. Fill it in a small piping bag and make the crosses.

  11. Preheat the oven at 200'c for 10 mins. Place the tin on the middle rack and bake the Pav for 20 mins @ 200'c using both the upper and the lower heating coil/ rods/ elements.

  12. Please note every oven works differently hence adjust the temperature and duration according to that.

  13. I brushed them with some more oil as they came out the oven. You can even brush them with some melted apricot preserve. These buns stay fresh for about 2 days at room temperature when stored in an airtight container.

Love,
Shreya

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Vegan Hot Cross Buns | Vegan Easter Hot Cross Buns

 

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