Few things are more delightful than warm hot cross buns out of the oven and no they don’t just exist in nursery rhymes!
Bread buns flavored with spice – nutmeg and cinnamon and studded with dry fruits; golden raisins and currants are a treat for Easter and all year round too.
Once you’ve dunked one in your steaming cup of espresso in the morning, I doubt you’ll disagree!
You can manipulate how sweet you like your bread – the glaze and frosting add another layer of sweetness so you can reduce the sugar in the recipe by a little bit if you so choose. We all like ours a tad sweet and so I like this recipe just the way it is.
If you remember, a few years ago I had done a spicier, pull-apart recipe for hot cross buns and this recipe is a simplified version of those. I like that this has fewer ingredients and less intense spice flavors which simply means it works for fussy kids and fussy girlfriends too. Not to mention you can eat them all year without it having that ‘holiday-only’ feel to them.
I always bake mine in a batch of 12 and they become breakfast treats until they are all polished off. They don’t require much expect for a few pantry staples, the dry fruits and a couple of hours where the dough is allowed to peacefully rise.
Which is why I think they are perfect Sunday treats fit right there between the hair dresser and the mani-pedi appointments.
Enjoy!
Gather the ingredients,To proof yeast: 1 tbs active dry yeast, 1 tbs sugar, 1 cup milk
Dough: 4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 4 tbs unsalted and softened butter, 2 eggs, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/4 cup golden raisins, 1/2 cup currants
Sugar glaze: 3 tbs sugar & 2 tbs water
Frosting for piping: 2/3 cup confectioners powdered sugar, 2 tbs half and half, 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract. Also, a small plastic snack sized bag & scissors.
Also, oil for greasing, 11" x 13" baking sheet or jelly roll pan, non-stick bakign spray and parchment paper.
In a microwave safe bowl or cup, add the sugar and heat the milk for 1 minute. Stir to combine the sugar. Add the yeast and stir to combine.
Set aside for 5-10 minutes. The yeast should activate and turn frothy. If not, discard and start over with a new packet or batch of yeast.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, add the sugar, softened butter, raisins, currants and 2 eggs - discarding shells. With the batter blade, combine for a minute or so.
Change to a dough hook attachment and to the same bowl, add the flour and spices. Combine while scraping the sides of the bowl to incorporate all the flour stuck to the sides until a dough ball has formed.
At this point if the dough is too soft and cannot retain its shape, add the extra 1/2 cup of flour.
Add 1 tsp oil to a large bowl.
Once a soft dough ball is formed, oil hands and remove the dough ball to the bowl. Shape into a smooth ball. Using a damp clean kitchen towel or plastic cling wrap set aside for approx. 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours until the dough has doubled in size.
Cook's Tip: The inside of a microwave or oven is a good place for the dough rising.
Preheat oven to 375 deg F.
Spray a 11" x 13" pan with non-stick spray and line with a large enough sheet of parchment paper.
Once the dough has risen, using shears or a knife, divide the dough into equal halves and then each half into another so you end up with 4 quarters.
Pull out 1 quarter at a time and gently roll into a 2" diameter log. Using a butter knife, divide each quarter into 3 equal pieces.
Roll into dough disks and place on parchment sheet. Repeat until all the dough is sued up placing the dough disks at least 1" apart if not more - 3 to a row and 4 in each column.
Set aside for another 45 minutes for a second rise until the dough swells close to double its volume.
Bake about 25-30 minutes until the buns are beautiful light golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Meanwhile in a small saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a simmer swirling the pan, until the sugar melts and goes from cloudy to clear. Do not allow the sugar caramelize.
Work fast and using a pastry brush liberally apply the sugar glaze over all the buns for a glossy finish.
Allow the buns to continue cooling for another 10-15 minutes.
In a pyrex mixing cup, add the confectioners sugar, half and half and vanilla extract. Stir to combine to thick yet pourable frosting.
Empty into the plastic bag and seal shut. Using sharp scissors snip off just the tip of the corner and squeeze the force the frosting out, making crosses on each of the buns.
Discard the plastic bag with any excess left over.
Enjoy the hot cross buns warm or at room temperature.
Rest of the year tips: Simply omit the frosting when making the buns simple as breakfast treats the rest of the year. Stop the recipe at the sugar glaze.
Recipe for
Hot Cross Buns
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Rising time: 2-3 hours
Baking time: 25 mnutes
Shopping list
Makes 12
To proof yeast:
1 tbs active dry yeast
1 tbs sugar
1 cup milk
Dough:
4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar
4 tbs unsalted and softened butter
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup currants
Sugar glaze:
3 tbs sugar
2 tbs water
Frosting for piping:
2/3 cup confectioners powdered sugar
2 tbs half and half
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract.
Also, a small plastic snack sized bag & scissors
Also, oil for greasing, 11" x 13" baking sheet or jelly roll pan, non-stick bakign spray and parchment paper.
Method:
Proofing the yeast: In a microwave safe bowl or cup, add the sugar and heat the milk for 1 minute. Stir to combine the sugar. Add the yeast and stir to combine. Set aside for 5-10 minutes. The yeast should activate and turn frothy. If not, discard and start over with a new packet or batch of yeast.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, add the sugar, softened butter, raisins, currants and 2 eggs - discarding shells. With the batter blade, combine for a minute or so.
Change to a dough hook attachment and to the same bowl, add the flour and spices. Combine while scraping the sides of the bowl to incorporate all the flour stuck to the sides until a dough ball has formed.
At this point if the dough is too soft and cannot retain its shape, add the extra 1/2 cup of flour.
Add 1 tsp oil to a large bowl.
Once a soft dough ball is formed, oil hands and remove the dough ball to the bowl. Shape into a smooth ball. Using a damp clean kitchen towel or plastic cling wrap set aside for approx. 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours until the dough has doubled in size.
Cook's Tip: The inside of a microwave or oven is a good place for the dough rising.
Preheat oven to 375 deg F.
Spray a 11" x 13" pan with non-stick spray and line with a large enough sheet of parchment paper.
Once the dough has risen, using shears or a knife, divide the dough into equal halves and then each half into another so you end up with 4 quarters.
Pull out 1 quarter at a time and gently roll into a 2" diameter log. Using a butter knife, divide each quarter into 3 equal pieces.
Roll into dough disks and place on parchment sheet. Repeat until all the dough is sued up placing the dough disks at least 1" apart if not more - 3 to a row and 4 in each column.
Set aside for another 45 minutes for a second rise until the dough swells close to double its volume.
Bake about 25-30 minutes until the buns are beautiful light golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Meanwhile in a small saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a simmer swirling the pan, until the sugar melts and goes from cloudy to clear. Do not allow the sugar caramelize.
Work fast and using a pastry brush liberally apply the sugar glaze over all the buns for a glossy finish.
Allow the buns to continue cooling for another 10-15 minutes.
In a pyrex mixing cup, add the confectioners sugar, half and half and vanilla extract. Stir to combine to thick yet pourable frosting.
Empty into the plastic bag and seal shut. Using sharp scissors snip off just the tip of the corner and squeeze the force the frosting out, making crosses on each of the buns.
Discard the plastic bag with any excess left over.
Enjoy the hot cross buns warm or at room temperature.
