Both symbolic and delicious, Hot Cross Buns are essential to any Easter celebration. Although I think the buns with the bright white cross are beautiful, I find I rarely have the extra time in the kitchen to make a separate paste for such a decoration, and I also hate piping. My grandmother simply slashed the buns on the top, making for a simpler, but no less delicious version, so I've modeled these buns after her method. I'm fairly sure Jesus will not mind a simpler aesthetic.
Notes
- Modify the Filling: If you'd rather not add the cranberries, you can omit them or use any other addition you like. Raisins are common, or even finely chopped nuts. Shredded coconut can be delicious as well.
- Modify the Glaze: If you'd rather not use powdered sugar, just drizzling the buns with honey is a great option as well.
Storage
Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap, and store on the counter for 3-4 days. To freeze, just wrap the unglazed buns in plastic wrap or a put into a freezer bag, and store for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours, and then glaze before serving.
Related
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Grace Says:
If your kitchen is a bit too cold to facilitate good rising, you can hack your bulking and proving time with your oven. Turn your oven to the "warm" setting or just put on its lowest temperature, and allow the oven to run for 2 minutes. Then shut it off, and put your dough into the toasty oven. It will be warm enough to speed up your rise, but not so hot that it will kill your yeast.
📖 Recipe
Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients
Hot Cross Buns
- 3 ½ cups flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 ¼ teaspoon yeast, or one package
- 1 ¼ cups milk, lukewarm
- 6 Tbl butter, softened
- 3 Tbl sugar or honey
- 1 egg
- ½ cup dried cranberries
Vanilla Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbl milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Mix the flour, salt, yeast, cardamom, and nutmeg together until blended. Then add small pieces of the butter and work with your fingers to rub it into the flour. Then add the cranberries and stir to mix them in.
- Add the sugar or honey and egg to your lukewarm milk, and mix to blend. Keep in mind: if your egg is straight from the refrigerator, it may cool down your milk and increase your rising time.
- Add the sugar, egg, and milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-7 minutes, or knead in your mixer with a dough hook. If the dough is too sticky, you can work 1-2 more Tbl of flour in until it's manageable. Then set aside in a warm place to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled.
- Shape the dough into 2" buns, and place them on a parchment-lined or lightly greased pan about 2" apart. The buns are generally about 60g each. Set aside in a warm place for a second rise, until a finger poked into the side of a bun leaves a shallow indent. This can take 1-2 hours, depending on the temperature of the environment.
- Near the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375℉. Using a clean blade or bread lame, make two cuts perpendicular to each other on top of each bun. This will create the cross. You can also use scissors to snip the top, but it will create a different shape. Don't be afraid to make sizeable cuts. If the cuts are too shallow, the cross won't show as much.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned.
- When the buns come out of the oven, transfer them onto a cooling rack. Then whisk together all the ingredients for the vanilla glaze until smooth. Brush the glaze onto the buns while they're still warm. I recommend glazing after the buns have been out of the oven for about 15-20 minutes. You can glaze them twice if you want a thicker topping.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!