Easy Hot Cross Buns
Traditionally for Easter, this soft dough is easily shaped, and makes tender, aromatic buns, ready for an icing cross on top.
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Total Time:
Ingredients:
| BUNS: | |
| 1/4 cup | apple juice or rum |
| 1/2 cup | raisins or dried currants |
| 1 1/4 cups | milk, room temperature |
| 3 | large eggs, 1 separated |
| 6 tablespoons | butter, room temperature |
| 2 teaspoons | instant yeast |
| 1/4 cup | light brown sugar, firmly packed |
| 1 teaspoon | ground cinnamon |
| 1/4 teaspoon | ground cloves or allspice |
| 1/4 teaspoon | ground nutmeg |
| 1 3/4 teaspoons | salt |
| 1 tablespoon | baking powder |
| 4 1/2 cups | unbleached all-purpose flour |
| TOPPING: | |
| 1 | large egg white, reserved from above |
| 1 tablespoon | milk |
| FROSTING: | |
| 1 cup | + 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar |
| 1/2 teaspoon | vanilla extract |
| pinch of salt | |
| 4 teaspoons | milk, or enough to make a thick, pipeable icing |
Directions:
Lightly grease a 10" square pan or 9" x 13" pan.
Mix the rum or apple juice with the raisins, heat in saucepan over medium heat, just till the raisins and liquid are very warm, do not boil. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
When the mixture is cool, pour the liquid off of the raisins into a mixing bowl. Set raisins aside. Mix together all of the dough ingredients except the raisins, and knead, using an electric mixer or bread machine, till the dough is soft and elastic. Mix in the fruit and any liquid not absorbed.
Let the dough rise for 1 hour, covered. It should become puffy, though may not double in bulk.
Divide the dough into billiard ball-sized pieces, about 3 3/4 ounces each. A heaped muffin scoop (about 1/3 cup) makes about the right portion. You'll make 12 to 14 buns. Use your greased hands to round them into balls. Arrange them in the prepared pan.
Cover the pan, and let the buns rise for 1 hour, or until they've puffed up and are touching one another. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375°F.
Whisk together the reserved egg white and milk, and brush it over the buns.
Bake the buns for 20 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove from the oven, and transfer to a rack to cool.
Mix together the icing ingredients, and when the buns are completely cool, pipe it in a cross shape atop each bun.
Source: kingarthurflour.com
