Hot Cross Buns
When I was living in Hull, Quebec (now called Gatineau), my girlfriend took me to Aux Délices Bakery at the ByWard Market square. As soon as we walked in, I started salivating – bread is one of my weaknesses! It was the day before Good Friday and she was picking up a sweet bread that I’ve never heard of before… Luckily, I was invited over to her place the next day and was able to sample it.
There’s an important Holiday coming up this weekend… Easter! In Christian countries, many traditions occur with food and that includes sweet bread. In Spain, Mona de Páscua will be eaten on Easter Sunday while the Croatian Pinca will be served for breakfast. The Greek Tsoureki is another delicious one with its dyed red Easter egg pressed into the center of the dough. There’s Mazanec from Czech as well as Cozonac from Bulgaria. Without going any further, here’s a similar one from the United Kingdom for this special occasion… Hot Cross Buns!
This British sweet treat is so delicious! Made with yeast, these dense buns are decorated with a white cross representing the crucifixion of Jesus. They are filled with spices and various fruits like sultanas, raisins or currants. My version is slightly different from the ones I’ve had so far. I use sultanas as well as candied peels – I love the combination.
The spices I use are ground cinnamon, allspice, ground nutmeg and ground ginger. The mix gives a beautiful flavor to these Hot Cross Buns. Cinnamon elevates many baked goods but keep in mind that too much can prevent the dough from rising properly. If you want to use more cinnamon, I suggest you increase the amount of yeast to compensate.
As I mentioned above, I add candied peels. I like to use the base of my Candied Fruits recipe and chop my orange and lemon peels finely before adding them to the dough. If you buy yours at the store, they already come finely chopped so there’s less steps to do.
When it comes to the flour, I use all-purpose but bread flour can be substituted. It will rise slightly more but in my opinion, I don’t bother with it as it doesn’t make much of a difference. For the glaze, I sift (not by choice, trust me on that one) the confectioners’ sugar because I find it blends easier with the freshly squeezed orange juice without making lumps. If you want to make a quicker and easier glaze, use corn syrup instead. Pour about ¼ cup in a small microwave-safe bowl, melt it and brush it on the buns…
They are best eaten the day they are made but if there are any leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two. They can also be frozen for up to 2 months and when ready to eat, wrap them in foil and pop them in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes at 350ºF.
Here’s a little trick…
Since I started my menopause, I prefer keeping my house on the cool side. It’s easier to add a sweater and wear some thick socks than breaking out in a sweat. My kitchen is cold for most of the year so when I make breads, it’s not really ideal for rising and proofing. What I do is to turn on the heat to 350ºF for about 2 to 4 minutes while my yeast is proofing (then turn it off of course). When it’s time to let the dough rise, the interior of the oven is nice and comfy.
Tradition is what bonds friends and family together so create a new one this Easter by baking these delicious Hot Cross Buns. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to make these tasty sweet little guys…
Bon Appétit!
Check out these other delicious sweet and savory bread recipes…
– Tomato Rosemary Focaccia
– Christmas Stollen
– Popovers
– Panettone
– Homemade Pretzels
– Challah
– Pull-Apart Garlic Bread
and for even more bread recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Bread
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Hot Cross Buns
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Ingredients
DOUGH
- 2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
- 1 cup lukewarm milk (between 105ºF to 110ºF)
- 1 tbsp. honey tips & tricks
- 3 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. allspice
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. ground Himalayan sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
- 5 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 large free-range egg, room temperature and lightly beaten
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup sultanas (subtitute raisins or currants)
- 1/4 cup mixed candied peels, finely chopped if needed see Recipe
- 1 tbsp. orange zest, finely chopped
- grapeseed oil, as needed to grease the bowl tips & tricks
CROSSES
- 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 6 to 8 tbsp. water
GLAZE
- 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice tips & tricks
Directions
DOUGH
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add yeast, warm milk and honey. Stir and let it proof for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile in a large mixing bowl, combine flour,cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, salt and ginger; whisk and set aside.
- To the stand mixer, add butter, egg, vanilla, sugar, sultanas and candied peels. With the paddle attachment on, process on medium speed until the ingredients are mixed.
- Change the attachment for the dough hook and add half the dry ingredients to the yeast mixture. On low speed, process until somewhat mixed before adding the remaining half of the dry ingredients. Mix the ingredients on low speed at first and increase to medium speed, stopping to clean the sides of the bowl.
- When the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, stop and drop it on a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough for about 2 minutes.
- Form a ball by pulling it under and place it in a lightly greased bowl, swirling around to coat.
- Cover with a clean dish towel and transfer the bowl to a draft-free area such as the oven with the temperature off. Let it rise for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until it doubles in size.
- A couple hours later, remove it from its draft-free spot and drop the dough back on the work surface. Divide it into 12 equal pieces or if you want them smaller, make 15 pieces with it; pull under to form little balls.
- Place them close together on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper overhanging the sides so it makes it easier to take the buns out when they’re baked.
- Cover the buns with the same clean dish towel and transfer them back to the draft-free area making sure the towel is not tucked under. Let them proof for 1 hour or until they double in size.
CROSSES
- About 5 minutes before the proofing time is done, make a paste using flour and 6 tablespoons of water. Continue adding a little bit of water until the consistency is right: not too thin and not too thick.
- Remove the buns from its draft-free area.
- Preheat oven to 400ºF/200ºC
- Spoon the paste into a small plastic bag, snip off a small piece at the corner of the bag and pipe a line down the center of the buns; do it again in the other direction, creating a cross.
- Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown, turning the baking sheet halfway through baking.
GLAZE
- In a small bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar with freshly squeezed orange juice; stir until blended.
- When the buns are done, remove them from the heat and immediately brush on the glaze while they’re still warm.
- Grab the edges of the paper and slide them onto a wire rack to cool off.
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