Hot Cross Buns

For many years I was scared to make bread. I have crafted many "bricks" ... both hand made and even with a bread machine! So I gave up,  I stopped trying, for a long time. Then, inspired by bread (among many other things) -making foodie friends, and a huge book called "Bread Machine" I started trying again. After some reasonable, even edible, attempts, I decided to give away my bread machine (it always undermixed and overbaked my breads, no matter the settings) and only make hand-made. I am learning, experimenting really, how to adapt bread machine recipes to hand-made (that book is full of so many amazing recipes!) and this recipe is my first real success.

Hot Cross Buns
I love fruit bread ... pretty much any fruit bread, though it has to have real fruit in it, not that candied stuff. My faves include raisins, dried cranberries, currants, orange zest, lemon zest, lime zest... mmm. Oh, and (for me at least) the cross needs to be baked on, not frosted!

In Australia, we always bought Hot Cross Buns at Easter time ... I think I looked forward to them more than the Easter eggs. It was the only time of year we got them and it was a real treat ... toasted ... with butter ... mm-mmmmm!

Flicking through the pages of "Bread Machine" the first recipe that jumped from the pages was Hot Cross Buns, with the cross baked in/on! I made them using the bread machine (as a mixer) a couple times, following the recipe to the letter — they were a little tough. So during one attempt, I timed the cycles on the bread machine, and soon after, I boldly pulled out my stand mixer and — after a few more attempts and a number of adjustments — I think I have it nailed ... though is any recipe ever really final?

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup warm milk
1/4 cup soft butter
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar

4 cups (3 + 1) bread flour

2 tsp rapid rise active dry yeast

1 1/2 tsp apple pie spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cardamom

1/3 cup dried currants
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup golden raisins

1 tbsp orange zest (optional)

Crosses:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp butter
water

Glaze:
4 tsp milk
4 tsp sugar

Heat milk to steaming but not boiling. Put milk, butter, lightly beaten egg in the bowl of your mixer, then add salt and sugar and mix until butter melts. 

Add 3 cups flour, yeast, and spices to the bowl and mix at low speed, with a dough hook, for 5 minutes until ingredients are incorporated to form a very sticky dough. Rest for 20-30 minutes to allow yeast to start working*. Then add dried fruit, zest, and remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time, kneading about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth.

(*most dried fruit contains preservatives that inhibit yeast, so the rest period allows the yeast to start working, and keep working after the fruit is added.)

Cover bowl and allow to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hrs, until dough doubles in size. 

Remove dough and lightly punch down then form it into a smooth ball. Use a sharp knife to divide dough into 16-20 equal size pieces. Tuck/roll dough into balls and place on a half-cookie sheet about 1/2 - 1 inch apart. Cover again and allow to rise for another 45 minutes to 1 hr.

Make the paste for the crosses by mixing the flour & butter (I use a small chopper/blender) to a fine crumbly mixture. Add water a tablespoon at a time and mix togther into a loose paste that you can pipe using a small zipper plastic bag with the corner cut out. Pipe a cross onto each bun right before baking.

Place buns in the oven on the middle shelf and set the temperature to 375°F (electric oven) — do not pre-heat! Set the timer for 20 minutes. Check buns when the timer goes off - they should be a light golden brown. Use a skewer to test that they are cooked through. Add a baking time (5 mins +) if not.

While they are baking, mix milk and sugar and heat in the microwave or small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved. When you remove the buns from the oven, turn them onto a rack or tea towel and immediately brush the glaze over the tops while they are still piping hot.

Serve hot, warm, or cool. They toast beautifully (cut in half) the next day or two — if there are any left! They can also be frozen - cover sticky tops with wax paper or parchment paper and store in zipper freezer bag.