Gluten-free hot cross buns

Gluten-free hot cross buns

Paul Hollywood's fruity bakes are just as delicious when you make some simple swaps to make them wheat-free

Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Makes 15

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 30 mins

Cook time

Cook 20 mins

plus proving
Freezable

Gluten-free

Method

  1. Bring the milk to the boil, then remove from the heat and add the butter. Leave to cool until it reaches hand temperature. Mix the flour, salt, sugar and yeast with the warm milk and egg in a mixer with a dough attachment, or with a wooden spoon, then bring together the dough with your hands. Don't knead.
  2. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hr or until doubled in size and a finger pressed into it leaves a dent.
  3. Tip in the olive oil, sultanas, mixed peel, orange zest, apple and cinnamon and mix into the dough. Leave to rise for 1 hour more, or until doubled in size, again covered by some well-oiled cling film to stop the dough getting a crust.
  4. To shape, lightly oil your hands and divide the dough into 100g pieces before rolling into balls.
  5. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Mix the flour with about 5 tbsp water to make the paste for the cross - add the water 1 tbsp at a time, so you add just enough for a thick paste. Spoon into a piping bag with a small nozzle. Pipe a line along each row of buns, then repeat in the other direction to create crosses. Bake for 20 mins on the middle shelf of the oven, until golden brown.
  6. Gently heat the apricot jam to melt, then sieve to get rid of any chunks. While the jam is still warm, brush over the top of the warm buns and leave to cool.

PER SERVING

226 kcalories, protein 5g, carbohydrate 41g, fat 4 g, saturated fat 2g, fibre 2g, sugar 14g, salt 0.5 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, April 2012.

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Latest comments and suggestions

  • Binder photo Grace & Andrew

    02 August 2012

    Grace & Andrew commented on this recipe

    Instructions aren't complete or clear. Is the butter required and when does it get added? In step 1 with the flour etc? Does it need to be softened? Also doesn't say anywhere to warm the milk up before it is added

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  • Binder photo Em

    26 August 2012

    Em commented on this recipe

    I was looking for a gluten free hot cross bun recipe and stumbled across this one. However like Grace and Andrew I cant make it untill someone from the Good Food team can kindly let us know when to add the butter?!?. Please update quickly as I want to make these....NOW!!! (They look so tasty)

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  • Binder photo elizabeth

    27 September 2012

    elizabeth commented on this recipe

    This recipe has been adapted from one by Paul Hollywood. According to the original instructions, the milk should be brought to the boil and the butter added to the hot milk. Then leave to cool to blood heat before using. Hope this helps.

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  • Binder photo Ilya

    27 October 2012

    Ilya commented on this recipe

    It doesn't work. The dough is not proving. Which exactly gluten free flour to use? What about baking powder or xantham gum? I am upset.

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  • Binder photo alisauros

    14 March 2013

    alisauros commented on this recipe

    TERRIBLE RECIPE DON'T WASTE YOUR INGREDIENTS ON THIS. Even if you do as Elizabeth above suggests, it doesn't work. Anyone who's tried this recipe is owed some really expensive ingredients and an apology from Paul and the BBC. This is why: The recipe is inaccurate. It is therefore a lie that it is 'tested'. The photo is of wheat buns, not gluten free. The dough does not rise. The finished product is only good for stoning crows. THE ONLY NICE THING WAS THE FLAVOUR. You can't just transpose a wheat recipe straight into gluten free. As a talented bread maker you know that surely Paul, so why allow someone to use your name for this recipe and make you look ignorant? Can I suggest you and the Beeb do a Gluten Free cookery series and find out how to cook some really good breads,cakes, and biscuits for us Freefromers? Everyone knows someone who eats GF, so it wouldn't be a wasted series. I love the Bake Off, watch it all, can't eat a single thing. Please?

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  • Binder photo Bianca Fattilips

    25 March 2013

    Bianca Fattilips rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    If you aren't fussy about Gluten or Wheat you can make these with proper, normal flour. I normally add the butter after they are cooked and have cooled down. I simply slice them open (with a knife) and put the butter inside, although 50g is quite a lot.

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  • Binder photo Clare

    28 March 2013

    Clare commented on this recipe

    With all due respect Bianca it is not a case of being 'fussy', but rather a case of wheat intolerance - hence the need for a usable 'gluten free hot cross bun recipe'!!!!

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  • Binder photo SusieWyld

    28 March 2013

    SusieWyld commented on this recipe

    The photo used above is identical to the regular (non gluten-free) hot cross buns on the BBC Good Food site which I think is possibly misleading. It's good to know how these will look so please could you change the photo to the gluten-free version? Or can you assure me that this is how they could look? Thanks.

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  • Binder photo The Good Food team

    29 March 2013

    The Good Food team commented on this recipe

    Thanks for your feedback everyone. This recipe has now been amended following an upload error. If you continue to experience issues, please let us know. Many thanks, the Good Food team.

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  • Binder photo Aldazita

    29 March 2013

    Aldazita commented on this recipe

    I made this today and I am sorry to say that it was total rubbish! They came out looking like bad rock cakes and the taste was disgusting! I actually nearly vomitted, this is a first for me on this site! Bad, bad, please do not waste your time or money on this recipe!

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  • Binder photo meateater

    30 March 2013

    meateater rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    10 out of 10 for taste, texture and not too heavy. I used Doves Farm GF Bread flour. Only ingredient I did'nt have was the apricot jam, used orange marmalade instead....even better!

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  • Binder photo flossie

    02 April 2013

    flossie commented on this recipe

    These simply do not work: it seems to have had wheat flour substituted with G/F flour. You cannot do that. Please would somebody remove or revise this recipe before other people are disappointed.

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  • Binder photo SusieWyld

    06 April 2013

    SusieWyld rated and commented on this recipe

    1 stars

    So disappointing. I have to agree with Flossie and Aldazita - absolutely disgusting. Bad rock cakes is a good description - taste was just about OK but absolutely not related to Hot Cross Buns at all. Please remove or test texture was unacceptable (and change that photo!). Not sure how meateater gave them 10 out of 10 and would be curious to know how our results can be so different. I don't know how to give a zero rating so have had to give one star - but deserved zero.

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  • Binder photo Bianca

    31 May 2013

    Bianca rated and commented on this recipe

    1 stars

    Too dry and unappealing. I regret the time I spent baking these.

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Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Makes 15

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 30 mins

Cook time

Cook 20 mins

plus proving
Freezable

Gluten-free

Ingredients

  • 300ml full-fat milk , plus 2 tbsp more
  • 50g butter
  • 500g gluten and wheat-free white bread flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 75g caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 2 tsp quick or fast-action yeast
  • 1 egg , beaten
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 75g sultanas
  • 50g mixed peel
  • zest 1 orange
  • 1 apple , peeled, cored and finely chopped
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

FOR THE CROSS

  • 75g gluten and wheat-free plain flour , plus extra for dusting

FOR THE GLAZE

  • 3 tbsp apricot jam
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PER SERVING

226 kcalories, protein 5g, carbohydrate 41g, fat 4 g, saturated fat 2g, fibre 2g, sugar 14g, salt 0.5 g

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