Easter is all about hot cross buns right? If you’re as adventurous as we are, you will love this recipe for Montgomery Cheddar & Chilli Hot Cross Buns.
About the recipe
Hot cross buns are all the rage around Easter. Take your buns to the next level with this amazing recipe from Delicious UK.
Traditional hot cross buns are made with fruit and eaten on Good Friday. But you’re all here for cheese right? So, we’ve snuck in a gorgeous clothbound Cheddar from the UK called Montgomery Cheddar.
Ingredients
275ml milk, warm (not hot)
7g fast-action dried yeast
2 tbsp caster sugar
325g strong white bread flour
300g plain flour, plus extra to dust
1 tsp fine salt
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
½-1 tsp hot chilli powder
¼ tsp sweet smoked paprika
¼ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp nigella seeds
3 medium free-range eggs (2 beaten together, plus 1 beaten separately for the glaze)
45g butter, softened
100g extra mature cheddar, finely crumbled
1-2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
For the cross topping
50g plain flour
50g icing sugar
¼ tsp sweet smoked paprika
2½ tbsp milk
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Method
1
Put the warm milk, yeast and sugar in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, stir to dissolve the yeast and sugar, cover with a clean tea towel and set aside for 15 minutes for the yeast to activate (the mix will go a bit frothy).
2
Add the flours, salt, spices and the 2 beaten eggs to the yeast mixture, then bring together with a wooden spoon or mix on a low speed until the mixture begins to come together into a slightly sticky dough
3
If making by hand, turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead in the butter, piece by piece, until combined. If making in a stand mixer, turn up to medium and add the butter in the same way. Either way, knead for 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
4
Add the cheese and chillies, then knead until evenly incorporated. Lightly grease the bowl, return the dough to it, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
5
Turn out the dough onto the work surface (see tips) and divide into 12 even pieces. Shape into buns and set 2cm apart on the prepared baking sheet so they have space to expand. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove (rise a second time once shaped) at room temperature for about 1 hour.
6
Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Put all the ingredients for the cross topping in a mixing bowl, whisk until smooth and thick, then scrape into the prepared piping bag.
7
Brush the buns with beaten egg and allow to dry. Pipe over the crosses, then brush with egg again. Put the buns in the oven, turn it down to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4 and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and cooked. Cool on a wire rack, then serve, fresh or toasted, with butter.
Montgomery Cheddar
Montgomery Cheddar is a clothbound hard cheese from North Cadbury in Somerset, England.
The flavour of this cheese actually varies remarkably depending on the day of the week that it is made on. The reason for this is because they change the starter culture that they use every day over the course of a week.
As such, this unique Cheddar’s flavour can range from meaty and brothy to sweet and fruity.
Recipe card
Montgomery Cheddar & Chilli Hot Cross Buns
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Piping Bag
- Electric mixer with dough hook
Ingredients
- 275 ml milk warmed, but not hot
- 7 g yeast dried
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 325 g white bread flour
- 300 g plain flour
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg freshly grated
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp paprika sweet smoked
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp nigella seeds
- 3 eggs 2 beaten together, plus 1 beaten separately for glaze
- 45 g butter
- 100 g Montgomery's Cheddar crumbled
- 2 red chillies deseeded and finely chopped
Cross Topping
- 50 g plain flour
- 50 g icing sugar
- 1/4 tsp paprika sweet smoked
- 2 1/2 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
- Put the warm milk, yeast and sugar in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, stir to dissolve the yeast and sugar, cover with a clean tea towel and set aside for 15 minutes for the yeast to activate (the mix will go a bit frothy).
- Add the flours, salt, spices and the 2 beaten eggs to the yeast mixture, then bring together with a wooden spoon or mix on a low speed until the mixture begins to come together into a slightly sticky dough.
- If making by hand, turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead in the butter, piece by piece, until combined. If making in a stand mixer, turn up to medium and add the butter in the same way. Either way, knead for 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Add the cheese and chillies, then knead until evenly incorporated. Lightly grease the bowl, return the dough to it, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
- Turn out the dough onto the work surface (see tips) and divide into 12 even pieces. Shape into buns and set 2cm apart on the prepared baking sheet so they have space to expand. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove (rise a second time once shaped) at room temperature for about 1 hour.
- Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Put all the ingredients for the cross topping in a mixing bowl, whisk until smooth and thick, then scrape into the prepared piping bag.
- Brush the buns with beaten egg and allow to dry. Pipe over the crosses, then brush with egg again. Put the buns in the oven, turn it down to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4 and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and cooked. Cool on a wire rack, then serve, fresh or toasted, with butter.
