Hot Cross Buns I Recipes

Steps:

• Combine the water and milk in a medium saucepan and warm over low heat until about 100 degrees F (but no more than 110 degrees). Remove from heat and sprinkle the yeast and a pinch of sugar and flour over the surface of the liquid. Set aside without stirring, until foamy and rising up the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.
• Whisk the butter, egg yolk and vanilla into the yeast mixture.
• Whisk the flour, the remaining sugar, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and stir in the yeast mixture with a wooden spoon to make a thick, shaggy, and slightly sticky dough. Stir in currants. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until soft and elastic, about 8 minutes. Shape into a ball.
• Brush the inside of a large bowl with butter. Put dough in bowl, turning to coat lightly with butter. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour 30 minutes. (If you have a marker, trace a circle the size of the dough on the plastic, and note the time to help you keep track.)
• To form the rolls: Butter a 9 by 14-inch baking pan. Turn the dough out of the bowl and pat into a rectangle about 16 by 8 inches. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions, about 2 ounces each, with a pizza wheel or bench scraper. (If you don't have a scale, divide the dough in half lengthwise, then in half crosswise. Cut each of those four sections into 3 equal-sized rolls.)
• Tuck the edges of the dough under to make round rolls and place them seam-side down in the prepared pan, leaving a little space in between each roll. Cover the pan with buttered plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until the rolls rise almost to the rim of the pan and have more than doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.
• Remove the plastic wrap and brush the tops of the buns with beaten egg. Bake rolls until golden brown and puffy, and an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the rolls registers 190 degrees F, about 25 minutes.
• For the glaze: Stir together confectioners' sugar, milk, lemon zest and vanilla until smooth. Transfer icing to a zip bag or pastry bag, and make a small cut in the corner of the bag. Ice buns in a thick cross shape over the top of the warm buns.

Steps:

• For the buns: Combine the milk, canola oil and 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar in a saucepan. Stir and heat until very warm but not boiling. Turn off the heat and allow to cool until the mixture is still warm but not hot, about 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle the yeast over the mixture. Add 4 cups of the flour and stir to combine; the mixture will be very sticky. Cover with a towel and set aside for 1 hour.
• Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt and remaining 1/2 cup flour to the dough. Stir until combined.
• Combine the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a small bowl with the cinnamon and whatever other spices you want to use.
• Lightly flour a work surface and turn out the dough onto it. Press to slightly flatten the dough. Sprinkle a third of the sugar/cinnamon mixture over it. Sprinkle on about a third of the raisins. Then fold the dough over on itself and flatten again so the dough is "plain" again. Repeat the sugar/raisin process, then fold the dough again. Repeat a third time.
• Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper. Pinch off Ping-Pong- or golf ball-size bunches of dough. With floured hands, quickly roll them into balls, then turn the edges under themselves slightly. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for at least 30 minutes....an hour plus is better.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the glaze: Mix the egg white with a splash of milk. Brush onto the balls of dough.
• Bake until the tops of the buns have turned nice and golden brown, 20 minutes give or take. Allow to cool on a cooling rack.
• For the icing: Mix the egg white with enough powdered sugar for the icing to be very thick. Splash in the milk as needed for consistency.
• When the buns are completely cool, add the icing to a small ziptop bag and snip the corner. Make icing crosses on each bun.
• Happy Easter!

Steps:

• In a small bowl stir together milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar. Let mixture stand 5 minutes, or until foamy.
• Into a large bowl sift together flour, allspice, cinnamon, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Cut butter into bits and with your fingertips or a pastry blender blend into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal. Lightly beat 1 whole egg with egg yolk. Make a well in center of flour mixture and pour in yeast and egg mixtures, currants, raisins, and zests. Stir mixture until a dough is formed. Transfer dough to a floured surface and with floured hands knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Transfer dough to an oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Let dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Butter 2 large baking sheets.
• On a floured surface with floured hands knead dough briefly and form into two 12-inch-long logs. Cut each log crosswise into 12 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball and arrange about 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets. Let buns rise, covered, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• While buns are rising, lightly beat remaining egg with superfine sugar to make an egg glaze. On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out pastry dough into a 20- by 6-inch rectangle (about 1/8 inch thick). With a sharp knife cut rectangle crosswise into 1/8-inch- wide strips.
• Brush buns with egg glaze and arrange 2 pastry strips over center of each bun to form a cross. Trim ends of pastry strips flush with bottoms of buns. Bake buns in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, about 12 minutes. Transfer buns to a rack to cool slightly. Buns may be made 1 week ahead and frozen, wrapped in foil and put in a sealable plastic bag. Thaw buns and reheat before serving. Serve buns warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Generously butter a large bowl. In a small saucepan set over medium heat, heat 1 cup milk until it is warm to the touch.
• Pour warm milk into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook. With mixer on low, add yeast, granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, melted butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and beaten eggs.
• With mixer on low, add flour, 1 cup at a time, until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms around the dough hook, about 3 minutes. Continue kneading, scraping down hook and sides of bowl as necessary until smooth, about 4 minutes longer. Add currants, and knead until combined, about 30 seconds.
• Turn dough out onto a heavily floured surface. Knead by hand to evenly distribute currants, about 1 minute.
• Shape dough into a ball, and place in the buttered bowl; turn ball to coat with butter, and cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour 20 minutes. For a richer flavor, let dough rise in a refrigerator overnight.
• Generously butter an 11-by-17-inch baking sheet. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface, and knead briefly to redistribute the yeast. Divide dough into 24 equal pieces, about 2 ounces each. Shape pieces into tight balls, and place on baking sheet, spaced 1/2 inch apart. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until touching and doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees, with rack positioned in center. To make egg wash, whisk together egg white, 1 tablespoon water, and pinch of salt in a small bowl; brush tops of buns with egg wash. Using very sharp scissors or a buttered slicing knife, slice a cross into the top of each bun. Transfer pan to oven, and bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool.
• Make glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon milk, confectioners sugar, and lemon juice. Pipe or spoon glaze in cross shape over buns, and serve.

Steps:

• Whisk milk, sugar, and yeast in a bowl until sugar dissolves. Cover and let stand until yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
• Sift flour, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Rub in butter with your fingers until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in raisins, eggs, and yeast mixture; mix until well combined.
• Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place dough in a large, lightly-oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.
• Knock back risen dough with your fist. Remove from the bowl and knead for 1 minute. Divide into 12 pieces and roll into buns.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease an 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Arrange buns neatly in the prepared baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place for 15 minutes.
• Whisk flour and water together in a small bowl to form a smooth paste. Transfer to a piping bag and carefully pipe a cross onto the top of each bun.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking until buns have risen and are golden in color, 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and immediately brush with warmed apricot jam.

Steps:

• Place currants in a small bowl. Heat rum until steaming in a small pan and pour over currants to soften them, about 2 hours. Drain; reserve liquid for another use.
• Whisk warm milk, 1/4 cup flour, and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit about 15 minutes to ensure yeast is active; small bubbles should start to rise to the surface. Add sugar, beaten egg, lemon and orange zest, cinnamon, salt, cardamom, nutmeg, melted butter, and most of the remaining flour (you might not need it all). Mix with a dough hook attachment until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and becomes slightly elastic, 5 or 6 minutes. Continue kneading until dough is soft and shiny, about 10 minutes. Remove dough from dough hook and shape into a ball. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface.
• Flatten dough into a large oval about 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle currants evenly over surface of dough. Fold dough into thirds. Turn and fold into thirds again. Reshape dough into a round ball. Transfer to lightly oiled mixing bowl. Cover and let rise in a relatively warm, draft-free place until double in size, about 2 hours.
• Poke dough down a bit with your fingertips. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Flatten out dough into an even shape. Divide into 16 equal pieces using a bench scraper.
• Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat.
• Roll each piece of dough into a round ball. Arrange evenly on prepared baking sheet. Let rise 15 minutes.
• Mix 1/4 cup water and 1/3 cup flour together in a mixing bowl until mixture is thick enough to hold its shape but thin enough to pipe. Transfer mixture to a piping bag.
• After buns have risen 15 minutes, pipe a cross on top of each. Let rise until doubled from original dough balls, another 15 or 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Transfer pan to preheated oven. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• Combine 1/4 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons water in a pan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until sugar dissolves and mixture starts to thicken, or until it reaches a temperature of 225 degrees F. Remove from heat.
• Let buns cool on a rack for 5 minutes before glazing. Brush glaze lightly over the tops of the buns.

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water.
• Add milk, sugar, butter, vanilla, salt, nutmeg and 3 cups of flour; beat until smooth.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
• Stir in the currants, raisins and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
• Turn onto a floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes.
• Place in a greased bowl; turn once to grease top.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch dough down; shape into 30 balls.
• Place on greased baking sheets.
• Cut a cross on top of each roll with a sharp knife.
• Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
• Beat water and egg yolk; brush over rolls.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
• Cool on wire racks.
• For icing, combine sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth; drizzle over rolls.

Steps:

• Mix yeast, sugar and scalded cooled down milk and water together and set aside till yeast starts to bubble.
• In mixer mix shortening and sugar together and add one egg at a time mixing in completely before adding another egg. Mix well after last egg.
• Sift 6 cups of flour into separate bowl.
• Mix 3 cups of flour into the yeast mixture, mix till smooth.
• Add Raisins.
• Add shortening, sugar and egg mixture.
• Take one cup of flour and add salt and cinnamon to it and mix it into dough. (To stop the cinnamon from lumping up in the dough).
• Knead in remaining cups of flour till dough is smooth.
• Place in greased bowl and allow to rise until double in size.
• Form buns then using clean scissors snip a cross into the tops of each bun.
• Beat egg yolk and water together and brush over tops of each bun.
• Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.
• When cooked and cooled use piping bag and form cross with your favorite white icing.

Steps:

• Put warm water, butter, skim milk powder, 1/4 cup sugar, salt, egg, egg white, flour, and yeast in bread maker and start on dough program.
• When 5 minutes of kneading are left, add currants and cinnamon. Leave in machine till double.
• Punch down on floured surface, cover, and let rest 10 minutes.
• Shape into 12 balls and place in a greased 9 x 12 inch pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place till double, about 35-40 minutes.
• Mix egg yolk and 2 tablespoons water. Brush on balls.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 20 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and cool on wire rack.
• To make crosses: mix together confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and milk. Place glaze in a piping bag or a sandwich bag with the corner snipped off; pipe a cross onto each roll.

Steps:

• Combine yeast, water, and milk; stir well.
• Mix with, potatoes, sugar, salt, butter, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and raisins.
• Beat in flour by cups.
• Knead 5 minutes.
• Let rise 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch down and divide in half 5 times, for 32 pieces of dough.
• Fold the corners in to make balls.
• Snip a cross onto the top of each ball.
• Let rise for 40 minutes.
• Brush with egg yolk and water.
• Bake 20 minutes at 375.
• While the buns are baking, combine milk, sugar, and vanilla to make icing.
• When buns are cool, drizzle icing over cross.

Steps:

• Make the dough: Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium until steaming. Remove from the heat. Transfer 1/4 cup/60 grams hot milk to a small bowl and let cool to 110 to 115 degrees if needed, about 1 minute. It should feel lukewarm if you stick your finger in it. Stir in the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. If the yeast doesn't foam, it's dead and won't help the dough rise. (You'll have to buy some more and start over if this happens.)
• Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and salt in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the butter to the milk in the saucepan and stir until it melts.
• When the butter has melted and the milk mixture is lukewarm, pour it into the dry ingredients, along with the yeast mixture and egg. If using a stand mixer, beat with the dough hook on medium-low speed until a smooth elastic ball forms, scraping the bowl and hook occasionally, about 10 minutes. The dough should feel sticky but not stick to your hands. If working by hand, mix the ingredients with your hand until a shaggy dough forms, then knead in the bowl to form a shaggy ball. Transfer to a work surface and continue kneading until smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes. You shouldn't need to flour your surface, but, if the dough is sticking to it, lightly flour as needed.
• Add the raisins and candied orange peel to the dough and knead them in until evenly distributed. Form the dough into a ball.
• Generously butter a clean large bowl and transfer the dough ball to it. Turn the ball to coat with the butter, then cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Butter a 9-by-13-inch cake pan. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide into 12 even pieces (90 to 100 grams each) with a bench scraper, sharp knife or your hands. Form a piece into a ball by folding it over itself and pulling the stretchy dough over the fruit bits so they're not sticking out. Once you have a smooth ball, pinch the seam at the bottom shut and place seam side down on the surface. Cup your hand over the ball and move your hand quickly in a circular motion to tighten the ball into a perfect round. Place in the prepared pan. Repeat with the remaining dough and arrange the balls in a 3-by-4 grid, spacing evenly apart. At this point, you can cover the pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
• Open a large, clean unscented produce, recycling or garbage bag and slip the pan into it. Fill a tall glass with hot water, place next to the pan in the bag and tie the bag shut. (This creates a warm, steamy environment for the dough to rise.) Let the balls rise until their sides are touching, about 1½ hours (longer if the dough has been chilled).
• When the dough is almost done rising, heat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Prepare the topping: If using orange blossom water, stir 1½ teaspoons into ¼ cup/60 grams water in a small bowl. Add the flour and stir into a smooth paste. Transfer to a pastry bag or resealable plastic bag and snip a ⅓-inch hole in one corner. Pipe lines across the centers of the balls in one direction and then again in the opposite direction so that each ball has a cross.
• Bake until risen and browned, 20 to 22 minutes. The internal temperature of a center bun should register 190 degrees. While the buns are baking, heat the sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a small saucepan over medium until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ¼ teaspoon orange blossom water, if using. As soon as the buns come out of the oven, brush the syrup evenly over them. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Measure the yeast mixture, flour, brown sugar and salt into a large bowl. Stir to mix and then add the cold milk followed by the boiling water. Stir thoroughly to mix.
• Leave to stand for 3 minutes. Melt the butter and assemble the rest of the ingredients.
• Once the 3 minutes is up, stir in the rest of the ingredients except for the flour.
• Now add as much flour as need to make a dough just firm enough to turn out on a board and knead. [The original recipe suggests 3 cups. I needed 4.].
• Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes until smooth and satiny and it springs back when you press it with a finger.
• Oil a large bowl and turn the dough ball in this until it is all coated. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and leave to stand until it doubles it original bulk.
• Turn out on a floured board, knead lightly and cut into 30 evenly sized pieces.
• Form each piece into a ball and arrange the buns in rows in a dish or pan with at least 1 cm between them. A roasting dish works well and takes about 15 buns.
• Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F and when ready turn the heat down to 200°C/400°F.
• Put crosses on the buns.Make a paste of the flour and oil and then add enough water to make a dough that can be forced out of an icing bag. Pipe the crosses on the buns.
• Put the buns in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes until they brown slightly and feel firm. Remove from oven and glaze with a hot syrup made by heating sugar and water.
• Cool buns on a rack. Store in airtight containers when cold.
• If you want to make a smaller quantity, halve the ingredients except for the egg. You may need more flour.

Steps:

• Measure the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and lemon zest into a large mixing bowl or into the work bowl of a food processor.
• Heat milk to boiling in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Remove from heat and add the butter.
• Stir until the butter is melted.
• Stir in the eggs.
• Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, and process or mix with an electric mixer until the dough is smooth but soft, about 2 minutes.
• Mix in the raisins, almonds, and candied fruits.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour.
• Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Turn the dough out onto an oiled surface.
• Dust the dough with flour and knead to express air bubbles.
• Divide the dough into 16 equal parts.
• Shape each into a round ball.
• Place the balls of dough, smooth side up, about 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
• Let rise in a warm place, lightly covered, until almost doubled, for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400 F.
• Brush the tops of the buns with the egg glaze.
• Slash a cross in the center of each bun with a sharp knife.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden.
• While the buns bake, mix the icing ingredients in a small bowl.
• Place the icing into a pastry bag with a small tip.
• Slide the parchment onto the counter top to cool or transfer the rolls onto a wire rack to cool.
• Pipe the icing into the shape of a cross on top of each bun.
• Serve warm.
• Makes 16 buns.
• Beatrice Ojakangas.
• The Great Holiday Baking Book.