Tear-apart Hot Cross Buns

Everyone knows Easter and hot cross buns come hand in hand, so for your spring-time feast this year, try these delicious tear-apart skillet buns cooked low and slow in your Ooni Pizza Oven. Perfect served with lashings of butter and a hot cup of tea. 

Equipment
Ooni Cast Iron Skillet Pan

Ingredients
Makes 11 buns

40g unsalted butter
250g milk 
450g white bread flour
1 sachet (7g) instant dry yeast
60g caster sugar
4g salt
1 egg, whisked
1 tbsp sunflower oil, for greasing
150g dried mixed fruit
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
60g plain flour
Water
2-3 tbsp apricot jam

Method
In a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil and melt in the butter. Mix thoroughly and leave to cool until warm to the touch.

In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar and mix well to combine. Make a well in the centre and add the warm milk butter mix, along with the whisked egg. With a wooden spoon, mix the ingredients until a rough dough comes together. Tip the contents onto a floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth. We recommend using a dough scraper to handle the dough as it is quite sticky. 

Shape the dough into a ball and coat the mixing bowl with sunflower oil. Place the dough back inside and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Leave to rest for an hour in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size. 

In the bowl, add the cinnamon, ginger, and mixed fruit to the dough. Knead with your hands until all the fruit and spice are evenly distributed. Cover and leave for a further hour.

Line your skillet pan with a disc of parchment paper and oil the sides to prevent the buns from sticking. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 11 equal pieces, weighing roughly 85g each. Roll each piece into a ball and place them into the skillet, leaving a cm of space between each bun. Once the skillet is full, cover and leave for a final hour to rest. 

In a bowl, mix the plain flour with a few tbsp of water until a smooth, thick paste forms. Transfer the mix to a piping bag (or sandwich bag with a corner snipped off) and pipe a cross over each bun. 

Fire up your Ooni Pizza Oven. If using gas, turn the oven on to high and preheat for at least 20 minutes. Turn the oven off and place the skillet inside to bake in the residual heat for 10 minutes, turning the pan 180˚ after 5 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn the oven back on to low. Cook the buns in the flames for an extra 4-6 minutes, rotating the pan every 45 seconds to ensure an even cook. 

If using wood and charcoal, load up the fuel tray with charcoal and preheat the oven on a low flame until the stone is around 315˚C (600˚F). You can check the temperature inside your Ooni quickly and easily using the Ooni Infrared Thermometer. Place the skillet in the oven and let the pizza cook for 8-10 minutes with the door off, turning the pan halfway. Once the buns are puffed up and lightly coloured, spike the flame with a piece of wood and let the flames colour the crusts for a few minutes on each side. 

Remove the skillet and leave to cool slightly while you prepare the glaze. Simply heat a few tbsp of smooth apricot jam and brush over the buns. Once the jam has cooled, tear into your buns as soon as you wish. Delicious cut in half and slathered with butter, served alongside a hot cup of tea. Happy Easter!