These eggless hot cross buns are fruity, sweet, and spiced with warm spices. These delicious buns are perfect with a hot cup of your favorite beverage.
Hot cross buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday in the British Isles, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and some parts of the Americas. It marks the end of Lent and different parts of the hot cross bun have a certain meaning, including the cross representing the crucifixion of Jesus, and the spices inside signifying the spices used to embalm him at his burial. { Wiki }
The history of how these buns developed is not very clear and one that is surrounded by lots of myths and speculations. There are a number of theories about their origin. You can read some of it here.
Hot cross buns are quite popular in India too. I do not know about other places, but in Mumbai, these hot cross buns are usually distributed in the Church during the Maundy Thursday mass service, one bun per family. Along with the bun, a pamphlet of prayer is also distributed. This is supposed to be recited by the head of the family on Good Friday, the bread broken and shared with all the family members. That’s the little tradition I know of.
In India, you won’t find these buns being sold throughout the year, as they are in the UK and other places. These appear only around Good Friday in stores. Unless things have changed now, I am not sure.
It’s been over 5years I have not celebrated Easter in Mumbai. If you ask me about the memories I associate with Easter, they have to just be these buns and Mom making marzipan Easter eggs. Oh, by the way, these Easter eggs are no-cook and egg-free and you should definitely check the recipe here .
Easter egg shaped cookies, and other kinds of treats that I see here are all new to me, we didn’t have things like, dyeing eggs, Easter egg hunt et al. Well, my son is living these new traditions, and what do I say, he loves it.
He’s kind of an ‘egg-o-maniac’ (is that a word??). I mean all these plastic egg filled candies and surprise toys all over the stores, available throughout the year or some commercial on TV popping up, what’s a kid got to do. He’s more fascinated with the surprise inside the egg rather than the egg itself. The other day, I collected a huge pile of these plastic eggs, while I was spring cleaning! Sigh!! Never ending woes!
Finally, on to the recipe for eggless hot cross buns, let’s talk about these buns. Have you tried making hot cross buns before? No?
Then you definitely should, if you like, spicy, sweet and fruity bread. I love sweet breads like Kugelhopf and Panettone/Stollen. And these Hot cross buns are similar to Kugelhopf, except that these are shaped in the form of a bun, well Hot cross ‘buns’.
All these breads are made from an enriched dough with ingredients like eggs, milk, and butter. I’ve adapted the recipe for these Hot cross buns from the Kugelhopf recipe.
I’ve made these buns eggless for my vegetarian readers. You can add an egg to this recipe, as the traditional recipe calls for, but frankly, I do not miss it. If you do wish to add an egg, use 1 egg and reduce the milk by 1/4 cup. I’ve also added dried cranberries for some color, feel free to use whatever dried fruit you have at hand.
I’ve also used agave nectar for the final glaze after the buns were baked, though in the traditional hot cross buns recipe a thick sugar syrup is used. You can choose to glaze these eggless hot cross buns with whatever you feel like, even diluted jam (jam mixed with few teaspoons of warm water) is great!
These eggless hot cross buns turned out amazing, we kind of gobbled a couple right away, with all that glaze they looked too tempting to not have any 😀
Okay, I guess we should just get on to the recipe to make these delicious eggless hot cross buns 🙂
- STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE EGGLESS HOT CROSS BUNS | EASY HOT CROSS BUNS | HOMEMADE HOT CROSS BUNS RECIPE
- HOW TO MAKE EGGLESS HOT CROSS BUNS | LIGHT AND FLUFFY HOT CROSS BUNS?
- Eggless Hot Cross Buns Recipe
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE EGGLESS HOT CROSS BUNS | EASY HOT CROSS BUNS | HOMEMADE HOT CROSS BUNS RECIPE
1.Add active dry yeast & sugar to 1/4 cup of lukewarm milk. Leave it in a warm place for about 10-15 minutes or until it is all frothy and bubbly. If the yeast is not frothy and bubbly, it means it is not activated, discard and start over again. Do not proceed without activating the yeast first. In the meanwhile, also condition your dried fruit. For that, place the dried fruit in a bowl, add hot water, and let it steep for about 10 minutes. This process softens the dried fruit, which will keep it moist and plump in the final baked buns. Discard the water and used the softened dried fruits.
2.In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining 1 & 1/4 cup milk with 6 tablespoons butter and granulated sugar over low heat, stirring, until mixture is warm (105 to115°F), butter is melted, and sugar is dissolved.
3.Next, weigh out the flour, add the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove spice powders along with the salt. Whisk to mix well.
4.Sift the ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the proofed yeast mixture. Mix on low speed.
5.Next, add in the warm milk in a slow stream and continue mixing at low speed. Knead for about 7 minutes on low speed.
6.Then add the currants, cranberries, and raisins along with the orange zest. Continue beating until dough is smooth, supple, elastic and tacky, another 3-4 minutes. The dough will be sticky. Do not add any extra flour.
7.Dust your work surface with very little flour, knead for another minute. You will know it is done, when the dough springs back when you press it with your fingers. Tuck the edges of the dough towards the centre to form a ball.
8.Transfer it to a big greased bowl. Spray some oil spray on the dough or apply little oil over the dough. Cover with a clean kitchen napkin, and set aside in a warm place to proof or double in size, approx 1&1/2 to 2 hours, depending on climatic conditions.
9.After the dough has risen, deflate it, by punching it down with your fist and transfer to the working surface. Knead again for another 2 minutes, add very little flour if the dough is too sticky.
10.Shape the dough in the form of a log, cut the dough with a scraper/dough knife/ regular knife (do not tear it by hand as it will tear the gluten strands) into 15-16 equal portions. You may also make 12 bigger buns instead of 16 medium-sized ones.
11.Shape them into buns by tucking the edges underneath towards the center, roll the dough against your work surface or between your palms to form a smooth round ball.
12.Place them in a sufficiently large baking tray greased with oil/lined with parchment paper, spacing each at least 2 inches apart. Cover with a damp kitchen cloth and let it proof for the second time. This will take approximately 30 minutes depending on the weather conditions.
13.Prepare the flour paste to make the cross by mixing both the ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Fill it in a piping bag or ziplock bag and snip off one end just before you start piping the cross.
14.Preheat the oven to 375 F. Brush the risen dough balls with milk for a nice golden brown colored crust.
15.Then pipe a cross in the centre of the buns with the prepared flour paste.
16.Bake for about 20-22 minutes or until they are done and the top is golden brown. The top of the rolls will appear hard as soon as you remove it from the oven. When you tap on it you should be able to hear a hollow sound. Brush the buns with agave nectar as soon as the buns are out of the oven. I baked these in 2 batches.
These eggless hot cross buns are best served warm, on the day they are baked, as they are soft. The texture tends to get dense as it cools, somewhat like a bagel. If you have leftovers, split the buns in half, toast lightly and slather butter along with some jam if you wish.
To store- Once the buns are cool completely, transfer to an airtight container up to 2 days.
NOTES
1.If you do not have a stand mixer, you can add the contents in a big bowl, mix well and tip out the shaggy dough on your work surface dusted with flour, knead for about 10-12 minutes, add the dried fruits, orange zest, continue kneading for another 2-3 minutes until you have a smooth, supple, elastic and tacky dough. Tuck the edges of the dough towards the center to form a ball and proceed from step 8 onwards.
2.If you wish to add an egg, add it after mixing in the milk-butter mixture.
3.If you wish to do a sugar glaze – While the bun is baking, bring to boil 3 tbsp sugar with about 1/4 cup water, simmer for 2-3 minutes until it thickens, brush over the buns as soon as they are out of the oven. You can also use diluted honey to glaze the buns.
4.If you are using agave nectar for the glaze, use as such. There is no need to dilute it, unlike honey, if that is what you are using.
5.Have a look at this quick video for the correct techniques to knead bread dough.
6.Also, check out this video to learn how to shape dinner rolls or buns perfectly.
HOW TO MAKE EGGLESS HOT CROSS BUNS | LIGHT AND FLUFFY HOT CROSS BUNS?
Eggless Hot Cross Buns Recipe
Ingredients1x2x3x
Measuring cup used, 1 Cup = 250 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml
- 500 grams all-purpose flour or strong bread flour
- 2 & 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 & 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
- 85 grams / 6 tbsp butter, softened
- 70 grams sugar, plus 1 teaspoon sugar to activate the yeast
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
- 1/2 tsp ginger powder
- 1/4 tsp clove powder
- 60 grams dried currants
- 60 grams golden raisins
- 30 grams dried cranberries
- 1 tbsp orange or lemon zest
- Milk, as required for brushing the rolls before baking
- Oil spray/2 tsp oil, to grease the bowl the dough and baking sheet
For the cross
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour + 3 tbsp water mixed together to form a smooth paste
For the glaze
- Agave nectar, as required (Refer notes)
Instructions
- Add active dry yeast & one teaspoon sugar to 1/4 cup of lukewarm milk. Leave it in a warm place for about 10-15 minutes or until it is all frothy and bubbly. If the yeast is not frothy and bubbly, it means it is not activated, discard and start over again. Do not proceed without activating the yeast first.
- In the meanwhile, also condition your dried fruit. For that, place the dried fruit in a bowl, add hot water, and let it steep for about 10 minutes. This process softens the dried fruit, which will keep it moist and plump in the final baked buns. Discard the water and used the softened dried fruits.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining 1 & 1/4 cup milk with 6 tablespoons butter and granulated sugar over low heat, stirring, until mixture is warm (105 to115°F), butter is melted, and sugar is dissolved.
- Next, weigh out the flour, add the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove spice powders along with the salt. Whisk to mix well.
- Sift the ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the proofed yeast mixture. Mix on low speed.
- Next, add in the warm milk in a slow stream and continue mixing at low speed. Knead for about 7 minutes on low speed.
- Then add the currants, cranberries, and raisins along with the orange zest. Continue beating until dough is smooth, supple, elastic and tacky, another 3-4 minutes. The dough will be sticky. Do not add any extra flour.
- Dust your work surface with very little flour, knead for another minute. You will know it is done, when the dough springs back when you press it with your fingers. Tuck the edges of the dough towards the center to form a ball.
- Transfer it to a big greased bowl. Spray some oil spray on the dough or apply little oil over the dough. Cover with a clean kitchen napkin, and set aside in a warm place to proof or double in size, approx 1&1/2 to 2 hours, depending on climatic conditions.
- After the dough has risen, deflate it, by punching it down with your fist and transfer to the working surface. Knead again for another 2 minutes, add very little flour if the dough is too sticky.
- Shape the dough in the form of a log, cut the dough with a scraper/dough knife/ regular knife (do not tear it by hand as it will tear the gluten strands) into 15-16 equal portions. You may also make 12 bigger buns instead of 16 medium-sized ones.
- Shape them into buns by tucking the edges underneath towards the centre, roll the dough against your work surface or between your palms to form a smooth round ball.
- Place them in a sufficiently large baking tray greased with oil/lined with parchment paper, spacing each at least 2 inches apart. Cover with a damp kitchen cloth and let it proof for the second time. This will take approximately 30 minutes depending on the weather conditions.
- Prepare the flour paste to make the cross by mixing both the ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Fill it in a piping bag or ziplock bag and snip off one end just before you start piping the cross.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Brush the risen dough balls with milk for a nice golden brown colored crust.
- Then pipe a cross in the centre of the buns with the prepared flour paste.
- Bake for about 20-22 minutes or until they are done and the top is golden brown. The top of the rolls will appear hard as soon as you remove it from the oven. When you tap on it you should be able to hear a hollow sound. Brush the buns with agave nectar as soon as the buns are out of the oven. Serve warm. I baked these in 2 batches.
- These eggless hot cross buns are best served warm, on the day they are baked, as they are soft. The texture tends to get dense as it cools, somewhat like a bagel. If you have leftovers, split the buns in half, toast lightly and slather butter along with some jam if you wish.
- To store - Once the buns are cool completely, transfer to an airtight container up to 2 days.
Notes
- If you do not have a stand mixer, you can mix the contents in a big bowl, mix well and tip out the shaggy dough on your work surface dusted with flour, knead for about 10-12 minutes, add the dried fruits, orange zest, continue kneading for another 2-3 minutes until you have a smooth, supple, elastic and tacky dough. Tuck the edges of the dough towards the center to form a ball and proceed from step 8 onwards.
- If you wish to add an egg, add it after mixing in the milk-butter mixture.
- If you wish to do a sugar glaze- While the bun is baking, bring to boil 3 tbsp sugar with about 1/4 cup water, simmer for 2-3 minutes until it thickens, brush over the buns as soon as they are out of the oven. You can also use diluted honey to glaze the buns.
I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to share your feedback with photos and suggestions to me at aromaticessence77@gmail.com
You can also follow me on :
Facebook @ Aromaticessence
Pinterest @ Aromatic Essence
Instagram @ aromatic_essence77
Twitter @ freda_dias
Regards,
Freda
Eggless Hot Cross Buns Recipe
Ingredients
Measuring cup used, 1 Cup = 250 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml
- 500 grams all-purpose flour or strong bread flour
- 2 & 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 & 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
- 85 grams / 6 tbsp butter, softened
- 70 grams sugar, plus 1 teaspoon sugar to activate the yeast
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
- 1/2 tsp ginger powder
- 1/4 tsp clove powder
- 60 grams dried currants
- 60 grams golden raisins
- 30 grams dried cranberries
- 1 tbsp orange or lemon zest
- Milk, as required for brushing the rolls before baking
- Oil spray/2 tsp oil, to grease the bowl the dough and baking sheet
For the cross
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour + 3 tbsp water mixed together to form a smooth paste
For the glaze
- Agave nectar, as required (Refer notes)
Instructions
- Add active dry yeast & one teaspoon sugar to 1/4 cup of lukewarm milk. Leave it in a warm place for about 10-15 minutes or until it is all frothy and bubbly. If the yeast is not frothy and bubbly, it means it is not activated, discard and start over again. Do not proceed without activating the yeast first.
- In the meanwhile, also condition your dried fruit. For that, place the dried fruit in a bowl, add hot water, and let it steep for about 10 minutes. This process softens the dried fruit, which will keep it moist and plump in the final baked buns. Discard the water and used the softened dried fruits.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining 1 & 1/4 cup milk with 6 tablespoons butter and granulated sugar over low heat, stirring, until mixture is warm (105 to115°F), butter is melted, and sugar is dissolved.
- Next, weigh out the flour, add the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove spice powders along with the salt. Whisk to mix well.
- Sift the ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the proofed yeast mixture. Mix on low speed.
- Next, add in the warm milk in a slow stream and continue mixing at low speed. Knead for about 7 minutes on low speed.
- Then add the currants, cranberries, and raisins along with the orange zest. Continue beating until dough is smooth, supple, elastic and tacky, another 3-4 minutes. The dough will be sticky. Do not add any extra flour.
- Dust your work surface with very little flour, knead for another minute. You will know it is done, when the dough springs back when you press it with your fingers. Tuck the edges of the dough towards the center to form a ball.
- Transfer it to a big greased bowl. Spray some oil spray on the dough or apply little oil over the dough. Cover with a clean kitchen napkin, and set aside in a warm place to proof or double in size, approx 1&1/2 to 2 hours, depending on climatic conditions.
- After the dough has risen, deflate it, by punching it down with your fist and transfer to the working surface. Knead again for another 2 minutes, add very little flour if the dough is too sticky.
- Shape the dough in the form of a log, cut the dough with a scraper/dough knife/ regular knife (do not tear it by hand as it will tear the gluten strands) into 15-16 equal portions. You may also make 12 bigger buns instead of 16 medium-sized ones.
- Shape them into buns by tucking the edges underneath towards the centre, roll the dough against your work surface or between your palms to form a smooth round ball.
- Place them in a sufficiently large baking tray greased with oil/lined with parchment paper, spacing each at least 2 inches apart. Cover with a damp kitchen cloth and let it proof for the second time. This will take approximately 30 minutes depending on the weather conditions.
- Prepare the flour paste to make the cross by mixing both the ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Fill it in a piping bag or ziplock bag and snip off one end just before you start piping the cross.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Brush the risen dough balls with milk for a nice golden brown colored crust.
- Then pipe a cross in the centre of the buns with the prepared flour paste.
- Bake for about 20-22 minutes or until they are done and the top is golden brown. The top of the rolls will appear hard as soon as you remove it from the oven. When you tap on it you should be able to hear a hollow sound. Brush the buns with agave nectar as soon as the buns are out of the oven. Serve warm. I baked these in 2 batches.
- These eggless hot cross buns are best served warm, on the day they are baked, as they are soft. The texture tends to get dense as it cools, somewhat like a bagel. If you have leftovers, split the buns in half, toast lightly and slather butter along with some jam if you wish.
- To store - Once the buns are cool completely, transfer to an airtight container up to 2 days.
Notes
- If you do not have a stand mixer, you can mix the contents in a big bowl, mix well and tip out the shaggy dough on your work surface dusted with flour, knead for about 10-12 minutes, add the dried fruits, orange zest, continue kneading for another 2-3 minutes until you have a smooth, supple, elastic and tacky dough. Tuck the edges of the dough towards the center to form a ball and proceed from step 8 onwards.
- If you wish to add an egg, add it after mixing in the milk-butter mixture.
- If you wish to do a sugar glaze- While the bun is baking, bring to boil 3 tbsp sugar with about 1/4 cup water, simmer for 2-3 minutes until it thickens, brush over the buns as soon as they are out of the oven. You can also use diluted honey to glaze the buns.
This Goan green lamb chop curry is so flavorful and delish, perfect with some turmeric spiced pilaf and a salad!
I hope everyone had a great Easter weekend! This green lamb chop curry served with green peas pilaf was our Easter lunch! It’s no secret here that I’m a big fan of coriander leaves or cilantro as it’s known in the US. Dishes like chicken cafreal , green masala shrimp biryani and hariyali sabudana khichdi that I’ve shared earlier are proof of that. I have ample recipes with cilantro to share with you!
Then, of course, there are spices to flavor up this curry even more. This is such a simple curry and lamb chops work beautifully in this recipe. You can use smaller pieces of lamb or mutton to make a delicious and easy lamb curry . Even chicken is just as good with this green curry paste . I make green chicken curry all the time.
This curry does not need any coconut milk. Grind a paste of cilantro, spices along with tamarind and you are done. Easy peasy!
I pressure cook the marinated lamb chops along with some sliced onions for a brief period of time so that the lamb is cooked halfway through. Then sauté some chopped onions until translucent, add the green paste, stir fry for a while to eliminate the rawness of the ingredients. Add the lamb chops along with its stock and softened onions. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer another 10 mins. That’s all! You will have a delicious pot of curried lamb chops that’s perfect alongside some rice or bread!
The mature flavor of the lamb in combination with the spicy and tangy cilantro spice paste add tons of flavor to this lamb chop curry. If you make this with chicken, skip the pressure cooking and add directly after you stir fry the paste.
- LOOKING FOR MORE GOAN DISHES?
- STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE GOAN GREEN LAMB CHOP CURRY
- HOW TO MAKE AUTHENTIC GOAN GREEN LAMB CHOP CURRY?
- Lamb Chop Curry (Goan Style Lamb Green Curry)
LOOKING FOR MORE GOAN DISHES?
You can check them out here .
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE GOAN GREEN LAMB CHOP CURRY
1.Marinate the lamb chops with ginger and garlic paste along with salt. Rub the ginger garlic all over the chops, set aside for about 2 hours.
2.After the lamb chops have marinated, transfer them to a pressure cooker, add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sliced onions, pressure cook on medium heat for 2 whistles. Switch off the heat and let the pressure settle down completely before opening the lid.
3.Meanwhile, grind the ingredients listed under “for the green spice paste” using water, as required. It should be a smooth paste. Green chillies not pictured below.
4.Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot, add roughly chopped onions, sauté until translucent.
5.Add the ground spice paste, stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, over medium heat.
6.Add the lamb chops, along with the contents of the pressure cooker, mix well. (Add more water, as needed for the desired curry consistency. The curry thickens on cooling). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for another 10 minutes or until the lamb is cooked through. Check for seasonings and adjust accordingly. Serve this easy lamb chop curry hot with rice or any bread of your choice and some fresh salad.
HOW TO MAKE AUTHENTIC GOAN GREEN LAMB CHOP CURRY?
Lamb Chop Curry (Goan Style Lamb Green Curry)
Ingredients1x2x3x
Measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml
For the lamb chop marinade
- 1.7 lbs / 780 grams rack of lamb/lamb chops, or mutton chops
- 1.5 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp salt
For the green spice paste
- 1 bunch of cilantro leaves along with tender stems, about 85 grams
- 2 green chillies, adjust as per desired heat
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp peppercorns
- 10 cloves
- 7 green cardamom
- 3 inch cinnamon stick
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 inch ginger
- walnut-sized ball of tamarind, about 15 grams
Other ingredients
- 2 cups roughly chopped onion
- 1 cup sliced onions
- 1 tbsp oil
Instructions
- Marinate the lamb chops with ginger and garlic paste along with salt. Rub the ginger garlic all over the chops, set aside for about 2 hours.
- After the lamb chops have marinated, transfer them to a pressure cooker, add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sliced onions, pressure cook on medium heat for 2 whistles. Switch off the heat and let the pressure settle down completely before opening the lid.
- Meanwhile, grind the ingredients listed under “for the green spice paste” using water, as required. It should be a smooth paste. Green chillies not pictured below.
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot, add roughly chopped onions, sauté until translucent.
- Add the ground spice paste, stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, over medium heat.
- Add the lamb chops, along with the contents of the pressure cooker, mix well. (Add more water, as needed for the desired curry consistency. The curry thickens on cooling). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for another 10 minutes or until the lamb is cooked through. Serve this easy lamb chop curry hot with rice or any bread of your choice and some fresh salad.
This is one of the best lamb curry’s I’ve tasted, and if you love cilantro, I’m sure you would enjoy this dish! I would love to hear from you if you try it! Please feel free to share your feedback with photos and suggestions to me at aromaticessence77@gmail.com
You can also follow me on :
Regards,
Freda
