I want to bake delicious hot cross buns with the minimal amount of sugar!
And it is really not easy! ... especially if I'm after hot cross buns that can wow everybody.
After tested and tasted several less-sugar bread recipes, I would like to conclude that these Cranberries Vanilla Hot Cross Buns are one of the recipes that I would highly recommended.
Super Soft Cranberry Vanilla Hot Cross BunsPerfect with sweet vanilla fragrance and not too sweet ^-^
Let's do some maths.
These 16 mini buns are made of:
100g dried cranberries (50% sugar reduced) - contain 35g sugar
30ml rum or water - 0g sugar
160g water - 0g sugar
50g egg - 0.5g sugar
1 tbsp vanilla paste or extract - contain 7g sugar
300g bread flour - about 1g sugar
20g caster sugar
20g milk powder - contain 7g sugar
2g salt - 0g sugar
45g unsalted butter - less than 0.1g
1 tsp instant yeast - 0 sugar
1 egg yolk - 0.6g sugar
1 tsp milk - less than 0.1g sugar
25g water - 0g sugar
20g self-raising flour - less than 0.1g sugar
Total: about 70g
about 4.5g sugar per buns
From the list of ingredients, I can see that the buns are mostly sweetened by the naturally sweet ingredients such as the cranberries, vanilla, milk powder, not the caster sugar... making the buns smell really really nice, yet without over-loading their sugar content.
Pass or fail?Is 4.5g sugar per bun too much or less to pass our taste test?
I would say it is a BIG PASS for meSimply because these super soft buns are awesome!They are mostly sweetened by the naturally sweet ingredients with lovely fragrances.Most importantly, they don't taste too sweet... meaning that the sweetness is just right for us!
Wanna bake these lovely hot cross buns for the coming Easter. Here's a video showing how I baked mine.
Music: Bensound
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Here's the recipe.Makes 16 mini buns in one 23 cm (9 inches) square pan
100g dried cranberries - I prefer to use the 50% reduced sugar ones.
30ml (2 tbsp) rum or water
Combine cranberries and rum or water in a small saucepan or heat-proof bowl. Heat and stir with low heat or microwave with low power until the liquid is fully absorbed into the cranberries. The cranberries should look plump and juicy. Set aside to cool completely.
For the bread dough:
160g water, lukewarm
50g eggs, weight without the shell, at room temperature (about 1 extra-large eggs but please use the exact weight)
1 tbsp vanilla paste or extract
300g bread flour with 12% protein
20g caster sugar
20g milk powder - Do not replace milk powder and water with milk!
2g salt
45g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 tsp instant yeast
For egg wash:
1 egg yolk
1 tsp milk
For the cross:
25g water
20g self-raising flour
extra butter or vegetable oil spray to grease baking pan
extra bread flour for dusting and shaping
For the bread dough:
If you are using a breadmaker to knead and prove the dough, add all ingredients into the breadmaker according to this order. Use "dough" setting to mix and knead dough for 30 mins or until the dough is elastic and stretchy. At the last 3-5 mins of kneading (or some breadmakers will beep), add plumped cranberries and continue to knead until the cranberries are well-incorporated. Then, let the dough prove for 1 hr or until doubled in size.
If you are using an electric mixer with an hook attachment to knead, combine all ingredients except butter in the mixing bowl and mix at low speed until a soft dough forms. Then, knead in the butter until incorporated. Continue to knead at low speed for at least 25 mins or until the dough is elastic. It is important that the dough has to be elastic and stretchy. Add cranberries and continue to knead until the cranberries are well-incorporated. Cover the dough and allow the dough to prove in a warm and humid place for about 1 hr or until doubled in size.
Grease one 23cm (9 inches) square pan with butter or vegetable oil spray. Using your lightly floured hands, divide dough into 16 equal portions (about 45g each) on well-floured surfaces. Pull, stretch and shape all portions into smooth balls. Arrange the dough in the greased pan. Allow the bread to rise in a warm and humid place for another 1 hr or until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven 350°F or 180°C.
For the egg wash, combine egg yolk and milk. Brush bread with egg wash.
For the cross:
Mix water and flour until it forms a smooth and thick paste. Transfer into a piping bag and snip off the end to make a fine hole. Pipe a cross on top of each bread bun and bake for 15 mins or until golden brown and thoroughly baked inside and NOT over-baked. Remove from the oven and transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Store any leftover in an airtight container at room temperature when they are completely cooled so that they will remain soft and moist even on the next day. If you are consuming the buns on the next day or so, I suggest that you should warm the buns using a microwave with high power for 20 secs. I promise. The buns will be super soft, moist and nice just like they have been freshly baked.
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