Hot Cross Buns

Yeast Breads / Recipe
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Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients

For the Buns:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ teaspoons instant active yeast
  • ½ cup dark brown sugar packed
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¾ cup whole milk in a liquid measuring cup
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup dried currants and ½ cup dried Craisins placed in a heatproof bowl covered with hot water for 30 minutes and drained
  • ½ cup finely chopped walnuts, toasted
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

Simple Icing:

  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons milk or water
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the Buns:

  • In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the 1 cup flour, yeast, dark brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice and cloves until well combined.
  • Add the butter in with the whole milk in the liquid measuring cup and heat in the microwave until warm. The milk should not feel too hot, and never get higher than 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the mixture into the electric mixing bowl with the dry ingredients.
  • Using the paddle attachment, on low speed, add the eggs, vanilla extract, drained currants and Craisins, walnuts and the 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour. Blend the ingredients and when the dough becomes too stiff, replace the paddle with the dough hook. Knead the dough for approximately 5 minutes. The dough will be a bit sticky. Do not add any more flour.
  • Spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place the dough into the bowl and flip the dough over so the greased side is up. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours or until the dough is almost doubled in size.
  • Remove the dough from the bowl and place onto a slightly oiled work surface.
  • Shape it into a large square.
  • Using a dough cutter, cut the dough into quarters.
  • Divide each quarter into fourths, creating 16 pieces of dough.
  • Shape each piece of dough into a round shape.
  • Spray a 13 x 9 x 2” rectangular Pyrex glass pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place 12 buns in the pan. There will be a space between the buns.
  • Shape the remaining 4 buns and spray a small round or square pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place the 4 buns in the smaller pan.
  • Cover both pans with plastic wrap sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and allow them to rise for approximately 2 hours in a warm place. The buns should have risen enough so that they touch one another.
  • While buns are rising, preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Place risen buns into oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until buns are nice and brown.
  • Allow buns to cool completely before icing them.

Make the Icing:

  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and just enough milk or water to create a thick, pipeable icing.
  • Place icing in a pastry bag fitted with a number 8 plain round tip or a freezer bag with a small cut out from one of the corners. Pipe a cross on top of each bun. Allow the icing to set before removing buns from pan.

Notes

Makes Approximately 16 Buns