Gluten-free hot cross buns

Step 1Combine milk, extra teaspoon of sugar, yeast and 1 tablespoon of the flour in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside in a warm place until frothy (about 10 minutes).

Step 2Place 2 1/3 cups flour, xanthan gum, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, spices, cranberries and currants in a large mixing bowl; fold to combine. Combine eggs, oil and vinegar in small bowl.

Step 3Add the milk and egg mixtures to the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until mixture forms a soft, sticky dough. Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 1–2 minutes, or until smooth. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and place in a warm place until dough doubles in size (about 1 hour).

Step 4Preheat oven to 160°C. Lightly spray a large baking tray with oil. Punch dough down with your fist, knead lightly for 1 minute, or until smooth. Divide dough into 10 even bun shapes. Place buns on prepared tray, cover with the tea towel and set aside to rest in a warm place for 20 minutes.

Step 5Meanwhile, whisk remaining tablespoon of flour with a tablespoon of water to make a smooth paste. Spoon into a small zip-lock bag and snip off a corner of bag. Carefully pipe flour paste over tops of buns to form crosses. Bake buns for 15–20 minutes, or until buns are golden and cooked through.

Step 6Meanwhile, place remaining sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring, over a medium heat to dissolve sugar, then simmer for 1–2 minutes, or until syrupy. Brush warm buns with the syrup and serve warm.

What you gain

• More fibre: The addition of chickpea and fava bean flours increases the fibre and protein content of the buns. We also added xanthan gum to replace the gluten and provide structure to the dough. (Both are available at Coles.)
   
• Dairy free: We made these buns dairy free by replacing cow’s milk with soy milk, and using macadamia oil instead of butter.
   
• Low in saturated fat: By replacing butter (high in sat fat) with a small quantity of macadamia or sunflower oil, we have significantly lowered the saturated fat content Both oils are rich in heart-healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats.
   
• Lower in sugar: To keep the sugar content down, we used less dried fruit than regular buns, and cut the added sugar by half.
   
• Gluten free: To make these buns suitable for people with coeliac disease, we replaced regular wheat flour with Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Baking Flour which is a blend of chickpea flour, potato starch, tapioca, sorghum flour and fava bean flour.