Freedom Hot Cross Buns – Happy Easter!

It makes perfect sense to follow on from my Freedom bun recipe with a Hot Cross Bun recipe. This recipe has not failed to please, especially when you throw in cinnamon, currants and lashings of butter.

Just like my previous recipe, these are gluten-free, soy-free, no nuts, yeast-free, rice-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and vegan! They have a lovely bread-like texture, are not cakey or doughy at all and are delicious!

So right on time for Good Friday, you will not need to prove your dough or worry about yeast, my instant Freedom mix is so easy and quick to bake. Just be careful, they are addictive and you won’t be able to stop at one!

1 teas chia seeds + 1 teas linseeds

50g water

80g potato starch (not potato flour)

50g tapioca starch

60g besan flour

60g buckwheat flour

1 tab rapadura* (optional)

2 teas xanthan gum

1 teas cinnamon

1 pinch nutmeg

1 tab baking powder

1 – 2 tabs sunflower seeds

80g mixed dried fruit (currants, cranberries, goji berries)

rind of ½ lemon

140g soda water

1 rounded teas pure ascorbic acid powder

60g olive oil

Mix the chia and linseeds with the 50g water and set aside.

Mix all of the dry ingredients (except the ascorbic acid) and fruit together well.

Add the oil to the chia seed mix and pour into the flours, mix the ascorbic acid into the soda water; it will fizz up – and pour over the flour mix too. Beat the dough by hand to produce a wettish dough.

Using wet hands or a big wet spoon, portion out the dough onto a baking sheet to make 6 large free-form buns. They will continue to expand and it’s best not to knock the air out of them. Bake for about 20 minutes in a 180ºC fan forced oven until golden brown and sound hollow when you knock their bottoms!

Make up a glaze of 1 tablespoon of honey to 2 tablespoons of water and brush over the buns as they come straight out of the oven. When they are cool, decorate by piping a cross with your favourite icing.

I would love to know what you think. At home we love them!

*Using a little rapadura in the mix is entirely optional. I think the dried fruit and the honey glaze makes these sweet enough, but decide for yourself.