Easy Hot Cross Buns
Easy Hot Cross Buns
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| quick-n-easy | |
| Hands-on time: | |
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| Baking time: | |
| Total time: | |
| Yield: | 12 to 14 buns |
Ingredients
Buns
- 1/4 cup apple juice or rum
- 1/2 cup mixed dried fruit
- 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 King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
Topping
- 1 large egg white, reserved from above
- 1 tablespoon milk
Icing
- 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
1) Lightly grease a 10" square pan or 9" x 13" pan.
2) Mix the rum or apple juice with the dried fruit and raisins, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave briefly, just till the fruit and liquid are very warm, and the plastic starts to "shrink wrap" itself over the top of the bowl. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Note: If you worry about using plastic wrap in your microwave, simply cover the bowl with a glass lid.
3) When the fruit is cool, mix together all of the dough ingredients except the fruit, 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.
4) Let the dough rise for 1 hour, covered. It should become puffy, though may not double in bulk.
5) 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.
6) 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.
7) Whisk together the reserved egg white and milk, and brush it over the buns.
8) Bake the buns for 20 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove from the oven, and transfer to a rack to cool.
9) Mix together the icing ingredients, and when the buns are completely cool, pipe it in a cross shape atop each bun.
Reviews
04/13/2012- I used the topping from KA's "lemon sugar crunch buns" to make Xs atop the buns, egg washed, and then sprinkled with demerara sugar. I made the lemon crunch topping ahead of time and chilled, then rolled portions into ropes. I used citron & candied orange lemon peel and raisins soaked in rum. Next time I'm adding another half cup of dried fruit like apricots. These were delicious baked ahead of time and warmed up for breakfast. I'll try baking these in a muffin pan next.
04/10/2012- Very, very good. I used the Trader Joe mix as suggested by another baker for half of the fruit and raisins for the other half. Delicious warmed, delicious toasted.Just plain delicious.
- 04/08/2012
- Absolutely delicious - used Bermuda rum to soak the fruit. Batter was rather sticky but I did not add any more flour than called for in the recipe. Perhaps I should not have added the liquid from the fruit but who can throw out good rum? Took them to an Easter Brunch and lots of compliments. The recipe made 12 large buns that easily fit an 9 x 13 dish. Definitely at keeper recipe. Rivaled the ones I remember from Logan's Bakery in Montreal growing up - even better!
- 04/08/2012
- I made these yesterday, just in time for Easter. They smell heavenly. I found that after 20 minutes, the buns in the center were still doughy and tested less than 160 degrees with my instant read thermometer. I was concerned that by the time the inside buns were done, the ones on the outside would be overdone. They do look lovely.
- 04/08/2012
- straightforward recipe and successful results. I don't have a mixer that can handle stiff dough, and no bread machine, so I was a bit concerned when I had to add some exrta flour as I was kneading it by hand. They turned out tender and yummy - although not as smooth and round as your photo - It got rather messy and wet when I added the fruit. I soaked the fruit (dried peel fruitcake mix, and currants leftover from my St. Pat's irish soda bread) in Grand Marnier instead of rum and then added a spoonful of your lemon powder to the icing. I liked the citrus addition.
- 04/07/2012
- Made this with my 6 year old daughter and her 3 friends. They did all the measuring, mixing, scooping, rolling and frosting. They turned out wonderful! The girls couldn't get enough of them. I ended up making another 2 batches to give away and am making another batch right now!!
- 04/07/2012
- I have made these before, by the recipe, and was impressed. Today I changed the flour content to: 2 cups White Whole Wheat, 1.5 cups A-P, and--to honor my Irish ancestory--1 cup of Irish Wholemeal. The buns took longer to rise but, if you like whole grain breads as much as we do, you will enjoy this hearty mix. For the fruit I chopped a half cup of mixed dried sour cherries and candied orange peel, and added a half cup of currants. I did the rum soak. I also topped the buns with the flour-water crosses, instead of icing, since we control our sugar intake. They are so delicious! We ate one warm from the oven and spread with homemade cultured butter. Exquisite. In the morning I'll toast them and add a little bitter orange marmalade along with the butter--that will make these buns sheer perfection. Happy Easter!
- 04/07/2012
- I just finished making these and they are amazing! I followed the recipe without making any changes and they couldn't have turned out better!
04/07/2012- The dough was way to soft. I couldn't form them at all. I think next time I would not soak the raisins because the extra moisture from them seemed to be the problem.
I am sorry the dough was on the soft side. It is not a lean dough that is for sure. It is high in sugar and fat so it will "stick" more. This can be frustrating but will yield a tender outcome. Dusting a little flour at a time and keeping your counter nice and clean will help! Elisabeth
- 04/07/2012
- There were delicious and like many other readers "I will never buy another hot cross bun"!! I added the cardamon as suggested by someone. The only downside, and this maybe because I was not feeling particulary patient that day, the dough was very soft and I did not think that the rolls were going to hold their shape. So, I baked this as one item in a lasagna pan. Will definitely bake again and will try for individual rolls. Meanwhile, check out King Arthur's Hot Cross Muffin recipe - has all of the same ingredients, including yeast. Intend to try that today for Easter Sunday.
