Words Joan Saunders
Photos Kathryn Brimacombe Photography
My mom used to make hot cross buns every year at Easter and it’s a tradition that I’ve recently rediscovered, as I’ve never been much of a bread baker.
Why? Because homemade bread is so difficult for me to resist, especially when I’ve made some gorgeous buns studded with tangy, sweet, dried fruit, and they’re warm, just out of the oven and sticky with glaze. Heavenly.
There are a few options for creating the crosses, but you don’t have to add them if you choose not to. My mom always did the quick snip cross with scissors, but I decided to try the flour mixture, as it looks lovely underneath the apricot glaze. Or, go for the sweet icing sugar cross, as it’s a very tasty alternative.
Whatever you do, once you brush on the glaze, you’ll have glorious, enriched dough, fruit-laden buns. And, if a couple disappear before others get a chance to try them, why not just say that the recipe only made 10? It’s usually worked for me.
Hot Cross Buns (makes 12 large buns)
3 ½ cups bread or all-purpose flour
4 ½ tsp instant yeast
1 ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp allspice
½ tsp salt
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup water
1/3 cup sugar
¼ cup whole milk (3.25%), warmed
3 eggs
¾ cup raisins (I like golden raisins)
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup candied citrus peel
zest of 1 orange
Crosses:
½ cup flour
8 tbsp water
Or:
1 cup icing sugar
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp vanilla
Glaze:
3 tbsp apricot jam
6 tsp water
In stand mixer, with dough hook or paddle, add flour, yeast, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Mix on low for a few turns. Set aside.
Heat milk up a bit in microwave or on stovetop, warm to the touch, but not hot. Whisk together oil, water, sugar, milk. Turn mixer speed to medium; slowly add liquid to flour mixture. Keep machine running while doing this.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing between each egg added. Once eggs have been fully combined into flour mixture, add dried fruit, peel, zest.
Continue mixing until dough is shiny, smooth and pulling away from sides of bowl. This takes about 5 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, knead dough mixture for a few turns, until it has come together. Lightly butter a large bowl; put dough ball in it. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap; put in a warm place. Let dough rise until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
Once dough has risen, take wrap off; punch dough down in the bowl. This helps release air produced by the yeast. Put dough on a lightly floured surface; let rest for about 8-10 minutes.
Divide dough into 12 equal pieces (about 125-130 grams each). With each piece, press it down slightly with your palm, then use your fingers to gather it into a ball, then roll it slightly to form a ball. Place ball smooth side up on a 9×13 baking tray which has been buttered and lined with parchment paper. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough. Spray piece of plastic wrap with oil; loosely place it over dough balls. Let dough rise again for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
When risen, take off plastic wrap. Preheat oven to 375°. You have three options for crosses (the first two before baking, third for after buns are baked and glazed):
- Mix together the flour and water to create a thick, runny paste and, before you bake the buns, put the flour mix into a piping bag and pipe crosses onto the buns.
- Using kitchen scissors, snip a cross into the top of each bun, before you bake.
- After you bake and glaze the buns, mix together the icing sugar, cream and vanilla. Put mix into piping bag; pipe a cross onto top of buns. Make sure they’re not still warm, or icing will melt or slide off.
The apricot glaze is brushed on top of the buns when they come out of the oven, while still warm. Put jam and water in a bowl, microwave for 30 seconds. Mix to combine.
Cook buns for 22-24 minutes, until golden brown and not sticky in centre. A skewer inserted into bun should come out clean.
Remove buns from oven. Use parchment to lift buns onto cooling rack. Brush with jam mixture while warm. Best day they’re made, but lovely heated up a bit or toasted later on. Freezable.
