I’m about to say something very un-Australian. I don’t like Hot Cross Buns. At all. The chocolate chip ones are okay if I have to, but they don’t really count anyway. My kids on the other hand, do like them. A lot. In true Demi style when she tries something she likes she makes it her mission to make a version of it herself. So here we are.
Full disclaimer, we set out to make traditional Hot Cross Buns. But once we had started I realized we had very little flour of any variety in the house so we were forced to improvise. While adding ground oats to the batter solved the wet problem of our dough to a certain extent, I couldn’t very well kneed dough out on the bench and expect it to proove with bits of heavy oats sticking to the outside of the rolls. So treating it more like a cake and working with it that way gave us more of a Hot Cross Slice, not as traditional looking but still in keeping with that traditional taste. As Demi likes to say, “Just because it looks unusual doesn’t mean it tastes bad”. And spot on Demi! If you’re in the mood for Hot Cross Buns and don’t feel like venturing out to the shops or waiting for dough to rise, whip these up. They’re quick, easy and taste like the real thing. With a bit of added nutrition, bonus. And Demi says they’re “super fluffy!” Trust the five year old, if they didn’t taste good she wouldn’t eat them.

Hot Cross Bun Loaf
Ingredients
1 cup of plain wholemeal flour
1 cup of wholemeal self raising flour
1 cup of ground oats
1 1/2 cups of water
2 tsp of powdered yeast
2 tsp of white sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp of powdered cinnamon
1/2 a tsp of all spice
3/4 of a cup of sultanas

For the Cross
3 tbls of icing sugar
1 1/2 tbls of water *see notes

Makes 12

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200°c.
2. In a jug, add the water, sugar and yeast, mixing it with a fork until the granules disolve. Let it sit for a few minutes.
3. Add the flours and oats into a bowl with the salt, cinammon, all spice and sultanas.
4. Make a well in the centre and pour in your yeast mixture, which should now look fizzy, into the centre.
5. Using a dough hook on your electric mixer mix until it is well combined. A ball won’t form but you should be able to see it firm up as the oats soak up liquid. It will take about 2 minutes.
6. Allow the mixture to sit for about 10 minutes and then transfer it into a greased and lined 30×20cm pan.

7. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the loaf is golden brown on top and hollow when you tap it on the bottom.
8. Allow it to cool on a wire rack.

9. Mix together the icing sugar, or flour if you’re using it, and water until a smooth paste forms.
10. Once the loaf has fully cooled, cut it into squares.

11. Using a piping bag, or ziploc bag with the corner cut off, pipe your crosses on.

And that’s it, there you have our not traditional looking, a randomly added ingredient but tasting like the real thing, Hot Cross Bun Loaf. Demi has already proclaimed she’ll be having it for breakfast tomorrow, a sure fire clue she likes something. And there’s oats and sultanas in there so why not? Breakfast and snacks sorted!

Notes
*As I already mentioned, I had no flour. I’m very aware that a traditional cross is made with flour and water, but icing sugar was my only option. If you do use flour, you’ll get a more obvious cross. Use the same ratios. No one here was complaining with the addition of the sugar though!

Nutrition facts based on one piece.