Real Food Friday Feast - Hot Cross Buns (Gluten and yeast free)

We were at a friend's for lunch last Sunday and she made the most amazing dessert. It was a kind of a bread and butter pudding, but with hot cross buns! Everyone said how tasty it was and I was insanely jealous because, of course, they weren't gluten-free and I couldn't have any:( I decided then and there to find a recipe for gluten-free hot cross buns!

Every recipe I found had yeast in it which is also a problem for me so I had to do a bit of research. Today I experimented and, while I know I will probably make a few changes every now and then, I am very happy with the fundamentals. They came out really tasty!

I thought now was a good time to post them considering it's Easter soon. Our celebration of Easter goes as far as us getting a chocolate for each other! Woolies organic chocolate for me and easter eggs for GLM. She LOVES easter eggs;) I have yet to try and master chocolate but I am determined it will come!

In the meantime, here is something to get you in the Easter mood while helping you stay relatively healthy:)

Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns

Buns:

500grams gluten and wheat-free white flour (you can find a bag of this at Dischem and most health shops. It's about R24 so it's not too bad)
1/3 cup organic brown sugar
350 ml raw milk
3 Tbs butter
1 free range egg - beaten

1 tsp bicarb

1 Tbs plain yogurt
Olive oil
Handful raisins or sultanas
1 orange - zest only
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp cinnamon (in my recipe I only used half a teaspoon of cinnamon but it wasn't enough for me. If you don't like them as spicy, feel free to lower the amount)

Cross:

75g gluten and wheat-free white flour 

Water

Glaze: (optional)

3 tsp honey or jam

Method

Buns:

• Preheat oven to 220°C 
• Sieve flour into a large bowl
• Add salt and sugar
• Heat the milk and butter together until the butter is melted and milk is warm to the touch
• Make a well in the flour, add the milk mix and the beaten egg and mix everything together with a wooden spoon. You'll eventually need to use your hands because it's hard to mix! Rub olive oil on your hands to prevent the dough sticking to them
• Add 1 tsp olive oil, sultanas, orange zest, mixed spice and cinnamon to the bowl and mix into the dough
• Cover with plastic and leave in a warm place for about 2 hours (this part is actually optional but I prefer sourdough to a normal dough. It's healthier but if you don't have time then feel free to skip this step!)
• Shape into 15 small buns and place on a baking sheet on a tray

Cross:

• Mix the flour with a small amount of water until you have a thick paste
• Scoop paste into a plastic packet and snip off a corner of it
• Squeeze the flour mix onto the buns in the shape of a cross
• Bake for approximately 20 minutes until golden brown (mine was actually done in about 15mins)

Glaze:

• Remove buns from oven and immediately heat the honey or jam until it melts
• While it's still warm, brush it over the top of the warm buns and then leave to cool

They're not pretty but, for a first attempt, I'm happy! They taste pretty good so that makes up for the fact that they don't look so great;)