Gluten-Free Hot Cross Buns

It is Easter so a lot of people in my New Zealand Coeliac group on Facebook are on the hunt for a tasty Gluten-Free Hot Cross Bun.  The ones in the supermarket are either the latest fashion in not-very-edible rocks or incredibly expensive - or both!  

I usually make my own. They do need to be eaten fresh out of the oven, though.  If you want some for lunch and don't want to make them in the morning, you can make the mixture and shape the buns the night before and put them in the fridge to do a slow, cold rise overnight instead.  Add the crosses before putting them in the oven.

Regarding what flour to use:

Firstly, I'd just like to say that all gluten-free flour blends are not the same.  I tried a variety of supermarket blends for this (but not all of them), and this recipe really likes Bakels.  Or Horleys, which is also made by Bakels but just with a different name.  By the way, that's the Bakels "Gluten Free Flour" in the blue bag, not the bread mix or baking mix.  This one:

I had an epic failure with Edmonds GF flour although I know some people have made these successfully with that brand.  Obviously I'm not too good with Edmonds!

Secondly, you really need a stand mixer for this, sorry, unless you want to stand there with a wooden spoon and give the dough a very good beating. Think evil thoughts about someone who irritates you greatly and it might be okay!
Anyway, the recipe:

Buns:

400 grams Bakels gluten-free flour (or Horleys Wheat & Gluten-free flour)
80 grams brown sugar
3 level teaspoons yeast
1 & 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum (if your blend already contains xanthan gum, leave this out)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons mixed spice

Mix together well and put into the bowl of your mixer.

60 grams butter, melted
340 ml warm milk (1 cup + 1/4 cup + 1/8 cup)
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 large egg (size 7)

Whisk together well.

Using your paddle attachment, and the shield (if you have one) to help stop a mess, set your mixer going on low and slowly pour in your wet ingredients.

Once incorporated, increase the speed of your mixer a bit and beat the dough for 3 - 4 minutes. It will go from a stiff dough to a smooth and sticky one that is still able to be shaped into balls.

Whilst the dough is beating, grease a 20 x 20 cm square dish well with softened butter.

When you you have finished beating your dough add:

130 grams golden raisins.

You can use ordinary raisins, but I like the colour and plumpness of the golden ones.

Beat the raisins into your dough.

Oil your hands and make 9 equal sized balls, placing them evenly in three rows of three in your buttered dish. You will probably need to re-oil your hands after every couple of balls.

Spray the top of your balls of dough with oil.

Place somewhere warm to rise for 30 - 50 minutes, until doubled in size.

Crosses

Mix together 1 heaped tablespoon of GF flour and enough water to make a thinnish pipe-able white mixture. Put in either a piping bag or a ziploc bag.

When the buns have risen, cut off the corner of your bag and pipe your crosses on.

Bake at 200º for 25 - 30 minutes.

If the buns start getting too brown, cover the dish with tin foil and keep cooking.

Once you take them out of the oven, it's nice to put on a glaze of some sort to make the buns shiny.  You could spread on some apricot jam, or make a sugar syrup and paint that on.  Brushing on a bit of melted butter can work as well.

Serve with butter fresh out of the oven.

Note: If you have any left over, freeze them as they will be hard the next day.  Alternatively you can refresh them in the microwave by heating them for 10 seconds or so.