If you’ve been eating gluten free for even five minutes then I’ll bet you know how, average a lot of gluten free store bought food is. Some things just can’t be done gluten free well I can tell you that. (hello gluten free tim tams!) But what if I told you one of your favourite Easter dishes could actually be made gluten free and taste almost as good as the original! Honestly! Better yet, it’s made super simple with my cheat that could see you knocking up mountains of Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns today! And with Easter only just around the corner, what better time than now to get started!
Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns – Really?
Yes, really. I know there are some available in the supermarkets, well, when you can actually find them! But I think they really don’t taste that great. Especially since they’ve been frozen and then allowed to thaw on the shelves, so god knows how old they are! That’s why last year I decided enough was enough! I wanted to enjoy delicious gluten free hot cross buns just like I used to. By absolutely scoffing myself stupid on them for months weeks in the lead up to Easter. There really is no other way to eat them is there?!
It really did take a long time for me to nail these babies. I have tried soooo many recipes, including a lot of others I found on the big wide web. But none of them really tasted the same! They were either too flat, or too soggy, or over cooked or too chewy. Or just plain bad! Even my earlier attempts I reckon tasted better than some of these. Eventually though I came onto a winner and a seriously simple one at that!
Gluten Free Bread Mix For The Win!
I know I’ve probably mentioned it before, but living in the country can suck sometimes. Especially when I’m trying to find specialty gluten free flours. Which is exactly what I was trying to do to create these divine gluten free hot cross buns. But alas, it was just waaaaaay too much work (and a lot of wasted $$). That’s when I happened upon the idea of using something readily available and simple. The good ole gluten free bread mix from the supermarket. They already contained a perfect blend of gluten free flours. All I had to do was add the spices and sultanas!
OK so it wasn’t quite that easy! It still took quite a bit of experimenting and some boxed bread mixes certainly work better. BUT in the end I produced a nearly perfect gluten free hot cross bun. I say nearly perfect purely because I don’t think it’s possible for it to be 100%. But dang it if I didn’t get them real close! When toasted or warmed in the microwave, slathered in just slightly salty butter, it’s like heaven! Or more importantly, almost like I wasn’t gluten free anymore!
So Which Bread Mix To Use?
As you’ll see in the below recipe I state a specific gluten free bread mix to make my hot cross buns. But I have semi-successfully used others too. My go-to is the Simply Wize Crusty Bread mix. You can find it in your local IGA and other select stores, or order online! I have had some success with the Orgran Alternative Grain Wholemeal Bread Mix too, though it is a little stodgier and doesn’t brown up quite as nice. Now I also don’t normally do this, but I will admit, the Easy Bakers gluten free bread mixes, don’t work here. Which is a dang shame as I love their bread mixes normally! But hey, I guess we can’t have everything!
But how’s that for simple! You pop a bag of bread mix into a mix master, whack in some spices, dried fruit and some warm water, oil and yeast in. Wollah! Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns! Now you can truly get back to enjoying your Easter in style. Just like you used to!
Oh and if you have one of those pesky “I hate cooked fruit” people in your family like I do? Then you definitely need to be checking out my Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Hot Cross Buns too!
Now hop to it and get those Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns in your belly!
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 6 buns | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 15-20 minutes | 30 minutes |
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This quick and easy cheat will you have you enjoying traditional Gluten Free Hot Cross buns in no time!
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- 1 box Simply Wize Crusty Bread mix
- 265 ml Warm Water
- 1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 packet Instant Dry Yeast comes with the bread mix
- 1 tsp Ground Cardamom
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp All Spice
- 1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
- 70 grams Sultanas
- 2 Tbsp Candied Mixed Peel
- 1 Tbsp Gluten Free Plain Flour like White Wings
- 2 Tbsp Water
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius and line a tray with baking paper. Set aside.
- In a measuring jug, place the warm water and pour in the sachet of yeast. Set aside and allow the yeast to bloom for 5 minutes or so.
- In the bowl of a mix master with a dough hook (or a bowl if you want to do this with your hands!) place the bread mix and spices. Give them a quick mix together. Add in the sultanas and the mixed peel and mix again. You just want to bring the ingredients together.
- Now add in your wet ingredients, the warm water/yeast mix and the oil. Set the mix master to slow and mix together for 1 minute. It will look a little dry but don't stress.
- Up the speed to medium and mix for a further 2 minutes until the dough clumps together and starts to smooth out. If it's still looking a little dry add a tiny touch of water until it smooths out.
- Lightly dust your bench top with some basic plain gluten free flour (it doesn't matter which type) and turn your dough out onto this. Don't worry about kneading it overly much. Just use your hands to roll it into a smooth ball and then roll it out into a thick sausage.
- You can then cut it into 6 equal pieces and roll each one into a ball. (Each ball will weigh around the 120g mark, but don't worry about being too precise). Place the balls next to each other on your prepared tray. Cover with a damp, clean towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes in a warm spot.
- Whilst that's rising you can prepare the white crosses. In a small jug place the plain flour and the water. Add a little water at a time, you may need more or less, and stir until you have a thick but pipable consistency. Transfer into a piping bag with a small round open tip. (I like to use a disposable bag for easy clean up and simply cut the end off!)
- Once the 30 minutes is up your buns will have risen a little and become slightly spongy. Take a sharp knife and cut a cross into the top of each bun. Then pipe your white crosses on top.
- Place into a hot oven for 15-20 minutes. Your gluten free hot cross buns will be cooked when they've turned a gorgeous golden brown all over and when tapped on the bottom, they will sound hollow.
- Allow to cool on a bench top before enjoying... or simply cut them open, slather with butter and enjoy!
- They will keep fresh up to 3 days in an airtight container or feel free to freeze and enjoy later (but seriously, right?!)
- Honestly they are best served fresh from the oven, after a quick microwave (30 seconds) or under a hot grill for a couple of minutes and then slathered in butter. At room temperature they can be a little chewy however still very yummy!
Hi there, I am just about to have a go at making these and I see ” leave in a warm spot” I always seem to struggle to find a warm spot as my kitchen’s temp is pretty even. do you have any suggestions for me? Ta
Hi Christine!
Thanks for stopping by and I’m sorry I didn’t reply earlier, I only just got notified of your comment! A warm spot can be hard for me too sometimes, but you’ll almost always find the dashboard of your car the perfect place to rise them! Weird I know, but kind of wonderful! Just make sure the dash is sitting in the sun and leave for the same amount of time. Otherwise if your oven has a warming tray that would be good, or if your fridge is a little bit older, near the fan output for that (that’s always warm! But not so much with the newer fridges!)
I hope this helps!
Thanks so much,
Stacey
Simply Wize crusty mix is my go to bread mix – even non GF friends eat it! But haven’t tried it for HCB’s yet – definitely on the list to try. But I had to share the best home “proofing drawer” when you don’t have one – its the microwave oven. Just put a mug of warm water in the microwave and nuke for about 2 mins. The microwave compartment will be warm and steamy. Open the door and move the mug to one side or the back and slide in your tray (or bowl) of shaped dough (covered with either glad wrap or a damp towel – dependent on the recipe). My gf dough usually takes 45 mins to fully proof using this method 🙂 If it needs more time then remove the dough from the microwave and reheat the water for a minute then return the dough to the microwave.
Cheers
Obe
Hey Obe,
Thanks for swinging by! That’s a great idea, and definitely one I’ll keep in mind when it’s just too cold to get that rise!
Thanks!
Stacey