Hot Cross Buns
I love hot cross buns and look forward to making these fruity spiced buns every Easter! I like to make the dough in a bread machine, but I have included instructions at the end of this recipe for using a stand mixer.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup warm water 110 degrees F/45 degrees C
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg separated, divided
- 3 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon instant powdered milk
- ⅜ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup dried currants
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons water
- ½ cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 teaspoons milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients.
- Put flour, warm water, white sugar, egg, egg white, butter, yeast, milk powder, and salt in a bread maker and start on dough program.
- When 5 minutes of kneading are left, add currants and cinnamon. Leave in the machine until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Punch down dough on a floured surface, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Shape into 12 even-sized balls and place in a greased 9x12-inch pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 35 to 40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Mix egg yolk with 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl; brush on dough. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and cool on wire rack.
- To make the piping glaze: Mix confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla together until smooth. Spoon glaze into a piping bag or a sandwich bag with the corner snipped off; pipe a cross onto each roll.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
To make the dough in a stand mixer: Combine warm water and yeast in the bowl of the mixer and let soften for about 5 minutes. Add flour, milk powder, 1/4 cup white sugar, egg, egg white, and salt. Mix, scraping the dough down occasionally, on low speed using the dough hook for 10 minutes. Add butter, currants, and cinnamon and mix for an additional 5 minutes. Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, and allow it to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Proceed with step 4 of the recipe instructions.