How’s your week so far? ? Easter is just around the corner and I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves and work in the kitchen. You know what else I look forward to? Fluffy Hot Cross Buns.
Back when I was younger, we observed Holy Week in a more somber mood. I dreaded the arrival of Holy Week because it meant not being able to watch my favorite cartoon shows on TV. TV and radio stations usually changed their regular programming to broadcast religious shows. Everyone was mostly in a serious and reflective mood.
But Easter was different. As if by magic, people (and TV shows) quickly switched back to their original, easygoing selves come Easter morning. On Easter, people went to the beach and ate out with their families and friends. Easter meant eating all the dishes that you weren’t allowed to eat during Holy Week. But we didn’t have the tradition of eating a special kind of bread for Easter.
Enter Hot Cross Buns. These lightly sweetened and glazed buns were once considered reserved for special days (like Christmas and Good Fridays), and it was illegal to sell them on other days.
The distinctive cross mark on top of each bun gives this bread its name. The cross marks can either be made with flour and piped on top just before baking, or made with sugar and piped after the buns come out of the oven. I chose the sugar icing method because I like my buns sweet.
Hot Cross Buns are traditionally made on Good Friday. Legend has it that buns made on this day will not spoil, but I don’t think spoiling or leftovers are even a problem. Let me tell you, with these buns, any Friday will turn into a really good Friday (pun intended).
Ah, I can’t wait to kick back and laze around the house with a book and a bun (or more, don’t judge).Would you just look at that? Absolutely divine. I hope I can get some self reflection done while munching on these goodies.
The recipe is actually a low medium although I rated it as ‘medium’ because it involves kneading the dough until the “window pane stage“. This means that when you stretch a bit of the dough between your forefinger and thumb, it doesn’t break easily and can stretch to form a translucent membrane.
Other than that, the rest of the steps are a cinch to follow. You can customize the recipe to add your favorite nuts or dried fruits instead of the traditional raisins. I made mine with equal portions of raisins and dried cranberries.
Want to have these Fluffy Hot Cross Buns with a cup of coffee this Friday?
Fluffy Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients
- 240 ml 1 cup milk
- 2 eggs large
- 480 grams 4 cups bread flour
- 55 grams 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon ground
- 1 teaspoon cardamom ground
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg ground
- 57 grams unsalted butter softened
- 50 grams raisins
- 50 grams dried cranberries
For the glaze:
- 80 ml 1/3 cup water
- 3 tablespoons icing sugar
For the icing:
- 120 grams 1 cup icing sugar
- 2 –4 teaspoons milk
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the milk and eggs. Add the flour, sugar, yeast, spices, and salt and mix until a shaggy dough is formed.
- Add the raisins and dried cranberries and knead on low speed. While kneading, add the softened butter pats gradually. Knead until the dough is soft and smooth.
- Transfer the dough into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rest for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the dough has risen to double or more its size.
- Once the dough has risen, deflate it lightly and divide into 12 pieces. Shape into balls and place in a prepared 8×8 pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise until the dough balls double in size and touch each other, around 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375F/190C. Meanwhile, while the dough is resting for the second time, prepare the glaze.
- For the glaze: In a small saucepan over medium heat, simmer the water and the sugar until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is reduced.
- Uncover the pan and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Brush the glaze on top of each bun.
- For the icing: Combine the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk. Mix until a thick, but pipeable icing forms. If the icing is too runny, it is harder to pipe on top of the buns.
- When the buns have cooled enough, pipe the icing in a cross shape on top of each bun.
Video
Notes
If the icing is runny, add more sugar. If the icing is hard to pipe, add a little milk.
No-Knead, Light, and Flavorful!
No-knead, light, and flavorful – these are the qualities that everyone looks for in Hot Cross Buns. They’re also perfect for Easter! Read on to find out how to make these delicious treats. You’ll be delighted by the results! This recipe produces fluffy, light, and mildly spiced hot cross buns! Try it for yourself! Whether you’re baking for a crowd or for yourself, this no-knead hot cross buns recipe is worth trying!
No-knead version of Hot Cross Buns
The no-knead version of Hot Easter Buns is surprisingly easy to make and tastes just like the traditional version. The dough for these buns is much looser than the traditional version and must be mixed by hand with a wooden spoon. They don’t keep well and don’t rise as much as kneaded buns. They are, however, delicious and can be left out in the refrigerator for several days.
To make the dough, mix together the flour and water until it forms a stiff paste. Add the sugar and water together and heat until sugar dissolves. Once the dough is ready, add the melted butter and mix well. Bake the buns for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating them half way through. Let them cool before serving. This no-knead hot cross buns recipe can be found online.
Light and fluffy
You can make light and fluffy hot cross buns with a standard oven or a fan-baked oven. The dough is then divided into 12 equal portions and shaped into balls. Place them in a greased baking tray or a large oven-proof skillet. Make a paste with flour, sugar, and water. Pipe this mixture along the buns in opposite directions. Bake for around twenty minutes, or until they are golden.
Prepare a sugar syrup by combining sugar with six or eight tablespoons of water. Mix this syrup until it thickens. Add more sugar if necessary. Mix until smooth and pour into a piping bag. When the dough is ready, pipe the icing onto the buns. Let them cool before serving. Then, decorate with icing. If desired, you can serve these buns warm or at room temperature.
Mildly spiced
If you are looking for a sweet, fluffy treat that will go well with any occasion, then you should try making these delicious and traditional hot cross buns. Hot cross buns are traditionally made on Good Friday, but they are perfect to eat any time of the year. To make them, you will need some milk, a teaspoon of sugar, and flour and dry yeast. It is best to use real vanilla extract, not essence.
First, make the dough by mixing together 3/4 cup flour with six to eight tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until it’s smooth and elastic, and then pipe it onto the buns. The dough is best served slightly warm. While the buns are baking, you can make the glaze by heating up a small amount of jam in the microwave for fifteen seconds. Once the buns are ready, brush them with the glaze and let them cool for around 15 minutes before serving.
Flavorful
If you are looking for a delicious Easter treat, you should try making these Flavorful Hot Cross Buns! The buns are a popular tradition on Easter Sunday. They are made with cinnamon and are perfect for the holiday! While they are baking, it is important to allow the buns to cool before adding the icing. It will run on warm buns, so be sure to let them cool completely before icing them!
Yeast is the secret ingredient in hot cross buns because it helps to raise the dough and make it delicious. Use a water temperature of 105°F/40°C to dissolve the yeast; any hotter than this will kill it. Other ingredients include milk, eggs, and butter. The milk will add flavor to the buns, and the egg will aid the rising process. You will also need all-purpose flour.
Easy to make
This Easter recipe for easy to make fluffy hot cross buns is perfect for families with children. With just 4 ingredients, these delicious treats are sure to impress your guests. You will need yeast, which will make the dough rise. The water should be warm, about 105oF. Hotter water will kill the yeast. You will also need baking soda, which will give your buns a golden color and texture. If you are gluten-free, you can substitute it with all-purpose mix.
Begin by making the dough. Mix one egg with half a cup of milk. Then, beat the egg with the other half. Once the dough has risen, brush it with the egg wash. After that, you can pipe the cross onto the buns. After they are baked, let them cool down for about 20 minutes before serving. While they are cooling down, you can make the glaze. You can either use a piping bag or a zip top bag to pipe it on top of the buns.
