How to Make Cinnamon-Spiced Hot Cross Buns - Dessert
Discover > Texas Recipes > How to Make Cinnamon-Spiced Hot Cross Buns - Dessert
While hot cross buns are traditionally associated with Good Friday, at my house they were an Easter-brunch staple. But these little buns gave my mother Easter chills. Every year she would prepare all the dishes from scratch, except for hot cross buns. They were always to be bought fresh, at exactly 10:30 a.m. from her trusted baker.
Legend has it (aka my dad says) that my mother tried her hand at baking hot cross buns thrice, and when they didn’t turn out – to use her own words – ‘Easter-worthy’, she lost faith in home-made hot cross buns. What further cemented her agnostic stance towards them, was her friends’ horror stories of their failed attempts at making hot cross buns.
So, last year when I hopped on the bandwagon of lockdown baking, the first hot cross buns recipe I was determined to perfect was hot cross buns. Unsurprisingly, the first few times, they didn’t turn out perfect – they were not bad per se, just not Easter worthy. Then after a bit of hacking through the internet for tips and tricks and a few more attempts later, I finally made hot cross buns that my mum would deem worthy of her Easter brunch.
These cinnamon-spiced hot cross buns with apples (how long do apples last?) are mildly spiced, subtly sweet, fluffy, and crusty. When served warm, smeared with a dollop of unsalted butter these sweet bread (how long does bread last?) are perfect for Easter, Christmas, and any day in between.
Since my first hot cross bun victory, I’ve made these, with the exact same hot cross buns recipe, a baker’s dozen times more, and they turned out perfect every single time. I’m going to be making them again for Easter this year and though my mom’s a little skeptical about it, what better time to reignite her faith in home-made hot cross buns than Easter?
Using Bread Flour Instead of All-Purpose Flour
Flour (how long does flour last?) has a higher protein content (around 11-13%) when compared to all-purpose flour. Because of this, it isn’t as crumbly and doesn’t sink down with the weight of apples, raisins (how long do raisins last?), lemon peel and other peels. It absorbs more liquid and produces dense and fluffy hot cross buns. Use a bread machine for flour.
Bread flour (how long does bread flour last?) is a good substitute for AP flour when making buns, dinner rolls, or bread, but avoid using it for pastry dough, cakes, or baked goods that you want to be light and soft.
Place the Buns Close to Each Other on the Baking Tray
When the buns are placed in close proximity, they will, as Chef Kate Reid of Lune says, ‘grow into each other’. When you pull them apart, the spot that was covered (attached to the other bun) will be especially tender and moist.
Add Fruit and Peels After Kneading and Resting the Dough
If you add the apples, peels, dried cranberries (how long do dried cranberries last?), and raisins while mixing the dough they might break down and become mushy (especially the apples). So, it’s better to knead the dough and let it rest for a while before adding the fruits. This way the flavor of apples, raisins, and peels are infused in the dough while retaining their individual texture. It also makes the hot cross buns taste yummy!
Making Cinnamon-Spiced Hot Cross Buns
Mix the Wet Ingredients
Bring whole milk to boil in a saucepan. Add softened butter, mix well and allow it to cool. You can use a hand mixer for this.
I always prefer buying a saucepan and hand mixer online because of the added convenience!
Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl mix flour, salt, instant yeast (how long does instant yeast last?), and caster powdered sugar (how long does sugar last?). Create a dent in the middle and pour in the milk and butter. Add a beaten egg (egg yolk) and mix with a wooden spoon till the soft dough begins to hold its shape.
Online shopping for a mixing bowl, flour, salt, instant yeast, caster powdered sugar, and a wooden spoon is the smart choice for a seamless transaction!
Knead the Dough
Transfer the sticky dough onto a well-dusted surface. Knead the dough by stretching and folding it repeatedly. Once soft, transfer the dough onto a greased glass bowl. Cover with a cloth and let it rest for an hour.
Add Fruits and Peels to the Dough
To the rested dough, add sultanas, peels, apples, orange juice, organ zest or candied orange peel, and cinnamon. Knead all ingredients into the dough till they are well incorporated. Cover the dough and allow it to rest for another 1 to 1 ½ hours till it rises and doubles in volume.
Make Dough for the Cross
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 420°F. Take all-purpose flour in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 to ½ tbsp of water till you get a wet dough. Take a small piece of the dough and roll it out with your hands into thin flat strings. You can also use a bread maker instead.
Enjoy the convenience of doorstep delivery when you buy all-purpose flour and bread maker online!
Divide the Dough into Sections
Divide the dough into 8 sections and mold each individual section into small buns. Place two pieces of string on top, in the shape of a cross.
Place the buns on a greased baking tray and bake for twenty minutes at 420°F.
Take advantage of the wide variety of options when you shop for a baking tray online!
Cinnamon-Spiced Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients
- 300ml full-fat milk, plus 2 tbsp more
- 50g butter
- 500g strong bread flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 75g caster sugar
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 7g sachet fast-action or easy-blend yeast
- 1 egg, beaten
- 75g sultanas
- 50g mixed peel
- zest 1 orange
- 1 apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 75g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 3 tbsp apricot jam
Instructions
- Mix wet and dry ingredients. Bring milk to a boil, then remove from heat and add butter. Leave to cool until it becomes warm to touch. Combine flour, salt, caster sugar and yeast into a bowl. Make a well in the center. Pour in the warm milk and butter mixture, then add 1 beaten egg. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Using your hands, bring everything together until you have a sticky dough.
- Kneed the dough. Transfer onto a lightly floured surface. Kneed by holding the dough with one hand, stretching it with the heal of the other hand, then folding it back on itself. Repeat until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with an oiled cling wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for an hour or until doubled in size. A finger pressed into it should leave a dent.
- Add fruits, peels, & spices. Add in the sultanas, mixed peel, zest of an orange, finely chopped apple and ground cinnamon in the bowl with the dough. Knead into the dough, making sure everything is well distributed. Leave to rise for 1 more hour, or until doubled in size. Cover with a well-oiled cling wrap to prevent the dough from getting a crust.
- Divide the dough into 15 even pieces (about 75g per piece). On a lightly floured work surface, roll each piece into a smooth ball. Arrange the buns on baking trays lined with parchment, leaving enough space for the dough to expand. Lightly cover with more oiled cling film, or a clean tea towel. Prove for 1 more hour.
- Bake the buns. Heat oven to 220 C. Make a paste with the 75g plain flour and about 5 tbsp water, adding the water 1 tbsp at a time, just enough for a thick paste for the cross. Scoop the paste into a piping bag with a small nozzle. Pipe a line along each row of buns, then repeat in the other direction to create crosses. Bake for 20 mins on the middle shelf of the oven, until golden brown.
- Make the glaze. Gently heat apricot jam to melt. Strain to get rid of any chunks. While the jam is still warm, brush over the warm buns and leave to cool.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
251.51Fat
5.3Sat. Fat
2.38Carbs
45.57Fiber
1.81Net carbs
43.75Sugar
14.76Protein
6.05Sodium
195.23Cholesterol
20.56Easter Hot Cross Buns Recipe
Eating hot cross buns on Good Friday is as much a part of the tradition as running around town frantically trying to get Easter egg dye and fake bluegrass. Many folklore and history are associated with hot cross buns, which have their origins in the old country.
According to an old urban legend from England, if you made your hot cross buns on Good Friday, they would remain fresh for the next year. There was a common misconception among bakers that if they kept one hot cross bun and hung it in the kitchen, it would ensure that all dry yeast goods they made in the next year would rise successfully.
Some crew members believed that eating hot cross buns throughout their travels would save their ships from going down. It is stated that those who celebrate the Christian holiday of Easter by exchanging gifts of hot cross buns do so for the rest of their lives.
I don't know whether that's because the buns have special properties or if it's simply because of all the delicious carbohydrate deliciousness in them. The boundary is not quite clear.
Making and sharing "hot cross buns" as a meaningful Easter custom and a festive Easter present for friends is a worthwhile endeavor. My mother used to make them, but now I do them myself.
18 servings
2 hrs preparation time
20 mins cooking time
2 hours and 20 minutes for entire preparation
Ingredients
2 c. complete milk
1/2 c. canola oil
1/2 c. sugar
1 packet of active dry yeast (how long does active dry yeast last?) (two and a quarter tablespoons),
4 1/2 c. Flour suited for all purposes
1/2 tsp. (heaping) baking powder (how long does baking powder last?)
1/2 tsp. (scant) baking soda (how long does baking soda last?)
2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
Spices: Cardamom, nutmeg (how long does nutmeg last?), allspice (optional)
1/2 c. raisins
Cooking spray
a single egg white
A few drops of milk
For glazing
Single egg white
Sugar in powder form
A few drops of milk
Directions
In a saucepan, combine two cups of milk, one-half cup of sugar, and canola oil. This will be the topping for the buns. Stir the mixture while heating it until it is warm but not boiling. After taking the mixture off the heat, wait approximately half an hour for it to reach a temperature that is still warm but not hot.
Scatter the yeast over the milk mixture and stir it. Add four cups of flour, then whisk to blend the ingredients. The mixture is going to have a very sticky consistency. A towel should be used to cover it. Then it should be placed away for one hour.
Add the baking powder, soda, salt, and half a cup of flour. To merge everything, fold it all together. Either at this point, you can wrap the dough up well and put it in the refrigerator to chill for the night, or you can proceed with creating the buns.
Combine the cinnamon with one-fourth of a cup of sugar and any other spices you like.
Flatten the dough slightly on a surface dusted with flour by stretching and pressing it. Using a couple of teaspoons of the sugar and cinnamon mixture, sprinkle it over the top. Approximately one-third of the raisins should be sprinkled on top. After that, fold the dough over itself and flatten it until it returns to its original "simple" state. Repeat the step in which the sugar and raisins are combined, then fold and flatten the dough once more. Continue with step three until all of the raisins have been accounted for. One more time, fold the dough while keeping in mind that you won't use all sugar and cinnamon combinations.
Pinch off bunches of dough that are about the size of golf balls. Roll the dough into a ball as fast as possible using hands that have been dusted with flour, and then fold the dough's edges in on themselves in a very slight manner. Place on a gently oiled cookie sheet. At a minimum of half an hour, but preferably more than an hour, let the dough rise in a warm location while it is covered.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine one egg white with a few drops of milk in a mixing bowl. Apply a brush to cinnamon rolls. Bake for approximately twenty minutes, giving or taking a minute, or until the tops of the buns have turned a nice golden brown color. Remove from the pan and place on a cooling rack to cool down completely.
To make the icing, combine one egg white with a quantity of powdered sugar that will allow the icing to have a very thick consistency. If the consistency is too thick, add a tablespoon or two of milk. After the rolls have been left to cool for an adequate amount of time, transfer the icing to a small plastic bag and cut off one corner. The frosting should be used to make a cross on each of the rolls.
Best wishes for Easter!
