Easter Hot Cross Bun Bread

I won’t even try to hide it. I’m very excited about this recipe. And in the spirit of not beating about the bush, I’ll just tell you right now: IT TASTES AMAZING.

 
I’ve been getting really quite into the baking side of things recently. I have to admit, I never really saw what all the fuss was about. But all of a sudden, that seems to have changed. And it’s becoming apparent that my absolute favourite thing to make is BREAD. Sweet varieties, mostly. You know, things like banana bread- but a bit wackier and more interesting, a la my matcha and vanilla green tea bread. Probably because it’s so fricking easy, and I’m a sucker for easy cooking.
 

 

 

 
It can probably all be traced back to my absolute favourite chef: Yotam Ottolenghi. Andrew bought me his first cookbook, Ottolenghi: The Cookbook for christmas, and the first thing we made was his pear and amaretto crumble cake. Filled with apples, pears, amaretto and copious amounts of sweet goodness, it was probably the most glorious thing I have ever eaten and ever will eat. Unsurprising, then, that a love affair with sweet baking was born. But here’s the thing- Ottolenghi’s original recipe contained quiiiite a lot of oil. And us being us, we wanted to experiment with some substitutions to make it more macro friendly. So we replaced the oil with apple puree and high protein natural yogurt- and it turned out amazingly! I was so excited that sweet treats could still taste incredible with healthier substitutions that it kicked off a bit of an obsession, eventually leading onto raw dessert making as seen with my mango, passionfruit and pineapple cheesecake and chocolate, chestnut and coffee cheesecake.
 

 

 
Alas, I probably will not be winning -or indeed entering- the Great British Bake Off anytime soon. (Mostly because, let’s be real: ain’t nobody got time for that.) However, I do feel as though I’m getting pretty good at this whole bread lark.
 

 
This particular one was created as a twist on the traditional easter time hot cross buns. I’ve used the traditional mixed peel, cinnamon, and allspice, but added in some cheeky dried cherries in place of sultanas. Then, instead of using strong bread flour, I’ve used oat flour. This is because: 1) It makes awesome bread! 2) It’s less heavy, and 3) It’s a little easier on our stomachs. (Plus, I love watching the NutriBullet whizz the oats up into a flour- it’s SO satisfying and so much more fun.)
 

 

 
I couldn’t believe it when I first tasted it, all warm and fresh out of the oven. It tastes JUST LIKE hot cross buns! It’s my favourite bake so far. Lets just say that once we’ve finished this loaf, it’ll probably be making regular re-appearances for a good while after Easter.
 

 

 
But for now, let’s enjoy this beauty as a delicious Easter breakfast served with some yogurt and apricot jam. And then for an afternoon snack toasted with a silky spread of butter and a cup of tea. And then for dinner, and dessert, and a late evening bite and… as a midnight snack?
 
…Looks like I’ll be making another one tomorrow then.

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