Hot Cross Buns - An Easter Treat!

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2 жыл бұрын

Hot Cross Buns
What’s Easter without some freshly baked hot cross buns! These buns are soft, fluffy and perfectly spiced with orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom. The orange glaze gives the buns a glossy finish but doesn’t make them overly sweet. These buns are best enjoyed warm with butter.
Makes between 14-16 buns
Ingredients
Yeast Mixture
1 cup warm milk (110-120°F)
1 tbsp instant yeast
1 tsp sugar
Dry Ingredients
3 ½ cups flour
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ to ½ tsp cardamom (to your taste)
1 tsp salt
2/3 cups chopped raisins
Wet Ingredients
5-6 tbsp melted butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tsp orange zest
1 large egg
Orange Glaze
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
Cross Mixture
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp milk (adjust as needed)
Directions
1. To prepare yeast add 1 tsp of sugar and yeast to warm milk. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
2. In the meantime, combine flour, ½ cup sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, salt and raisins in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment.
3. In another bowl combine the melted butter, orange zest, vanilla extract and egg.
4. When the yeast is ready slowly add it to the flour along with the wet ingredients and mix on low speed to combine. Then switch to the dough hook and knead on medium speed for 5 minutes adding more flour or milk as necessary. The dough should form a soft ‘ball’ around the dough hook- that’s when you know it is done.
5. I like to transfer the dough onto a floured surface and knead by hand for a few minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. If the dough is too soft when kneading, add some oil to your hands and this will prevent the dough from sticking. The dough should feel soft, smooth and elastic but not sticky.
6. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, then turn it over so the top is lightly oiled. Cover and let rest in a warm spot for about 1-2 hours or until the dough is doubled. Since this is an enriched dough (made with milk, egg and sugar) the dough will take more time to raise.
7. Gently punch down the dough and divide and shape into 14-16 dough balls. Place the dough balls onto a greased baking sheet.
8. Cover and let rest for about 45 minutes to 1 hour- or until the dough is doubled.
10. Bake in a preheated oven at 380°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly golden.
11. While the buns are baking, make the glaze by cooking the orange juice and the sugar until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture has thickened slightly. Strain mixture to remove any orange pulp.
12. Once the buns come out of the oven brush them with the orange glaze. Then let them cool completely.
13. To make the icing sugar cross- combine the powdered sugar and the milk and mix well until smooth and slightly thick. The mixture should be easy to pipe. Using a piping bag (or a plastic bag with the tip snipped off) pipe crosses onto the cool buns.
Tips
1. Yeast- if using instant yeast this can be added directly to the flour mixture- it’s not necessary to bloom it first in the water (I prefer to bloom it as this is how my Mom taught me). If using active- dry yeast you must bloom the yeast in liquid to activate it before adding to the flour.
2. Kneading- you may need to gradually add a little bit more flour or liquid to get the dough to the desired texture during kneading. You want a dough that is soft and elastic but not too sticky- so adjust accordingly.
3. Raise time and temperature- the time the dough takes to raise depends on the ambient temperature. In warm/tropical temperatures the dough will raise much faster compared to cold/temperate conditions. So be sure to check the size of the dough rather than the time to know when it has doubled.
4. Dough placement- when arranging the dough balls on the baking sheet you want to give the balls enough room to expand during the second raise and during baking so that they are touching after baking. This will ensure that the edges of the buns are soft. If the dough balls are placed too far apart the exterior will become too crusty.
5. This dough can easily be made by hand instead of a stand mixer- you will have to knead it a bit longer by hand until it is smooth and elastic.