Recipe review: Hot Cross Buns

Add 2 c. King Arthur Flour flour to milk and yeast mixture.Stir till ingredients combine and dough starts to come away from bowl.Cover with towel and let sit in a warm place for an hour. Pour the warm Hood whole milk, sugar, and oil mixture into a large mixing bowl.Let this cool for 30 minutes till mixture is warm, but not hot.  Touch the side of the bowl to determine approximate temperature.Use kitchen scissors to cut the packet of yeast in half and sprinkle half over warm liquid.Stir and heat to just before boiling.  Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes.Should be warm, but not hot before sprinkling with yeast.View the list »
Hot Cross Buns, completely cooled and iced in the sign of the cross for Good Friday & Easter brunch.

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This review is comprised of two different recipes one from Better Homes & Gardens and one by The Pioneer Woman.

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Hot Cross Buns are typically made in the spring as a remembrance on Good Friday or to celebrate Easter at breakfast or brunch that Sunday.

Click the above link for the history of hot cross buns by Foodtimeline.org.

Both of these recipes have very similar ingredients, but the order and the method of using the ingredients made a marked difference.

BH&G calls for putting the yeast in with the spices and dry ingredients, then adding the warm liquid items, then the raisins.

The dough does not rise until all the components are combined.

This results in a drier bun that is not as soft as this examiner would prefer.

The recipe that produces a light and fluffy roll is inspired by The Pioneer Woman recipe.

This examiner cut the recipe in half, used dried fruit not the traditional raisins and cinnamon sugar as well as pumpkin pie spice.

Please see the photo list for the method.

Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients:

1 cup Hood whole milk

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 package active dry yeast (cutting the packet in have with scissors works well.)

2 cups King Arthur Flour flour

1/4 cup additional flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

If you have prepared cinnamon sugar that will work fine, otherwise,

1/8 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup dried fruit of choice, for ex. dried cherries, golden raisins, dried Vermont Cranberry Co. cranberries.

Glaze:

1/2 egg white from 1 egg (divide the white and yolk from one Shadow Cross Farm egg, save other half for icing.)

Splash milk

Icing:

1/2 egg white (see note above)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla or splash orange juice, if desired for flavoring

Splash milk

Happy Easter!

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View the list
  • Stir and heat to just before boiling.  Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes.Should be warm, but not hot before sprinkling with yeast.
  • Pour the warm Hood whole milk, sugar, and oil mixture into a large mixing bowl.Let this cool for 30 minutes till mixture is warm, but not hot.  Touch the side of the bowl to determine approximate temperature.Use kitchen scissors to cut the packet of yeast in half and sprinkle half over warm liquid.
  • Add 2 c. King Arthur Flour flour to milk and yeast mixture.Stir till ingredients combine and dough starts to come away from bowl.Cover with towel and let sit in a warm place for an hour. 
  • After one hour and dough has risen, mix in 1/4 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. baking soda and remaining 1/4 c. King Arthur Flour flour.Flatten dough on lightly floured surface.
  • Raisins are the traditional dried fruit used, but this examiner enjoys golden raisins, dried Vermont Cranberry Co. cranberries and candied green cherries.Citron or candied orange peel could be used.If you prefer not having the extra sugar from processing, chopped apricots or dates work well.
  • Sprinkle 1/8 c. sugar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 cup dried fruit (golden raisins, dried cranberries and candied green cherries) in three batches.Use more or less of these flavorings as desired.Fold over dough and press in the fruit after each batch.
  • Pinch off sections of dough and roll between floured hands. The size should be between a golf ball and a baseball.  The recipes suggests a quantity of nine, use that as a guide.Put rolls on greased baking sheet, cover and let rise for an hour.Preheat oven to 400'F.After they have risen, apply the egg wash (1/2 egg white and splash milk mixed together.)Bake about 20 minutes, until a golden brown crust has formed.   This examiner checked around 15 minutes and took them out at 17 minutes.
  • Remove Hot Cross Buns from oven and let cool completely.  If the buns are not cool the icing will melt. It is helpful to cool the buns on a wire rack over wax paper.  This will catch any excess icing.Use remaining 1/2 egg white with up to 1/2 cup confectionery sugar stirring till the correct thickness is achieved.Add a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla or a splash of orange juice for flavoring if desired.The icing can be made in a mixer and applied with a pastry or Ziploc bag.This examiner found it was easy to do this by hand, then used a spoon to make the sign of the cross with the icing. 
  • When applying the icing try decorating all the buns in one direction and then go back and do the opposite angle to make a cross.The Pioneer Woman inspired recipe that mixes the yeast first with warm liquids, lets the dough rise at two points, and adds the spices and dried fruit at the end of the process is the method this examiner recommends.It has a crisp crust with a light and fluffy interior.  You won't be able to eat just one.Enjoy! 
  • This recipe is from Better Homes & Gardens.  Very similar ingredients as the former, but the order using the ingredients came up with a different almost scone texture.
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, Colchester Farmers Market Examiner

Pamela Palmer Jacobs grew up on a farm in East Thetford, VT. Many of her relatives, family & friends, also had farms. She learned to respect and appreciate the hardwork, commitment and satisfaction most farmers exhibit everyday. She's also lived in Boston & Philly, where in the city the...

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