Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Stout Plumped Raisins
- 120 ml guinness stout
- 150 g raisins
Spiced Dough
- 120 ml whole milk, warmed to 38°C/100°F
- 7 g active dry yeast
- 50 g caster sugar
- 450 g bread flour
- 5 g ground cinnamon
- 5 g ground mixed spice
- 5 g salt
- 50 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 60 ml guinness stout, room temperature
Cross Paste
- 50 g all-purpose flour
- 60 ml water
Sticky Glaze
- 50 g apricot jam
- 15 ml water
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 270 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 50 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 16 g
- Sodium
- 180 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 25 mg
- Potassium
- 168 mg
- Calcium
- 37 mg
- Iron
- 2.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 18 mg
- Phosphorus
- 75 mg
- Zinc
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 40 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.42 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.29 mg
- Niacin
- 3.4 mg
- Folate
- 93 mcg
- Water
- 28 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a small saucepan, gently heat 120ml of Guinness stout until simmering. Pour the hot stout over the raisins in a heatproof bowl. Let soak for 30 minutes until the raisins are plump, then drain any excess liquid.
Warm the milk to 38°C/100°F. Whisk in the active dry yeast and 10g of the caster sugar. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes until a foamy layer forms on the surface.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the bread flour, remaining caster sugar, ground cinnamon, ground mixed spice, and salt.
Add the foamy yeast mixture, melted butter, egg, and the remaining 60ml of room temperature Guinness to the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed or stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. Gently fold in the drained plumped raisins during the last 2 minutes of kneading until evenly distributed.
Form the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.
Punch down the dough and divide it into 12 equal pieces, approximately 80g each. Shape each piece into a tight ball by rolling it on the counter. Place the buns in a lined 9x13 inch baking pan, leaving a small gap between them.
Cover the pan loosely and let the buns proof for another 45 minutes until they are puffy and touching each other. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F.
Whisk the all-purpose flour and water together to form a smooth, thick paste. Transfer the paste to a piping bag. Pipe continuous lines horizontally and vertically across the rows of buns to create crosses.
Bake the buns in the preheated oven at 190°C/375°F for 20 to 25 minutes. They should be a deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
While the buns bake, gently heat the apricot jam and 15ml of water in a small saucepan until simmering, then pass through a sieve if chunky. Brush the hot glaze generously over the buns immediately as they come out of the oven. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Chef's Notes
- Using bread flour is crucial for this recipe. The higher protein content develops a strong gluten network required to support the heavy fruit and the enrichments of butter and stout.
- Applying the apricot glaze while the buns are still piping hot directly out of the oven is the secret to a professional bakery shine that sets without becoming overly sticky.
- Enriched doughs infused with stout and spices tend to rise slightly slower than standard bread doughs. Rely on the visual cue of the dough doubling in size rather than the clock.
- Be sure to drain the soaked raisins very well before incorporating them into the dough. Excess stout from the soaking process can alter the hydration of the dough and make it too sticky to knead.
Storage
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze in an airtight container after baking and cooling completely.
Reheating: Warm in a 150°C/300°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes or microwave for 15 seconds.
Troubleshooting
Buns are dense and heavy rather than light and pillowy.
Cause: The dough was under-proofed or the yeast was killed by milk that was too hot.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked. Slice and toast them to serve with plenty of butter to improve the texture.
Prevention: Ensure milk is only lukewarm (38°C/100°F) and do not rush the rising times; wait for visual cues of doubling in size.
Cross paste is too hard or easily cracks off.
Cause: The paste was mixed too thickly or piped too heavily onto the buns.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked.
Prevention: Add a few extra drops of water to the cross paste until it achieves a smooth, pipeable consistency similar to toothpaste.
Cultural Context
Hot cross buns are a traditional Easter weekend treat across the UK, Ireland, and Commonwealth nations, historically eaten on Good Friday to mark the end of Lent. The inclusion of Guinness stout gives this version a distinctly Irish twist, adding subtle roasted coffee and chocolate malt notes that perfectly complement the sweet spices and fruit.
