Just in time for Easter, this Hot Cross Bun recipe is simple and reliable for your holiday weekend. If you manage to have any left over the day after, they are delicious toasted with a smear of butter.
Our flours are all freshly milled to order and never stocked in our warehouse. Flourist Sifted Red Spring Wheat Flour is available online and you can shop our full flour selection here.
Hot Cross Buns
~ adapted from King Arthur Flour
1/4 cup apple juice or rum
1/2 cup (80g) mixed dried fruit
1/2 cup (80g) raisins or dried currants
1 1/4 cup milk, room temperature
2 large eggs and 1 egg yolk (save egg white for topping)
6 tbsp (86g) butter, room temperature
2 tsp instant yeast
1/4 cup (38g) brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves or allspice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
4 1/2 cups (621g) Flourist Sifted Red Spring Wheat Flour
Topping
1 egg white, reserved from above
1 tbsp milk
Icing
1 cup + 2 tbsp (155g) icing sugar
4 tsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
Lightly grease a 10" square pan or 9" x 13" pan. Mix the apple juice, dried fruit, and raisins together. Microwave briefly or heat over the stove until warm, set aside to cool.
Mix together all of the dough ingredients (milk through to flour) in an electric mixer. Knead until the dough is soft and elastic. Add the fruit and any liquid not absorbed. Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Let rise for 1 hour in a warm place. It should be puffy but may not double in size.
Divide the dough into 1/3 cup portions (approximately the size of billiard balls) and roll into balls, you should have 12-14 buns. Arrange them in the prepared pan. Cover the pan and let the buns rise for 1 hour until they have puffed up and are touching each other.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk the egg white and milk together, and brush all over the buns. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Let sit for 10 minutes and then carefully turn the buns out of the pan and transfer to a cooling rack.
Mix together the icing ingredients and once the buns are completely cool, pipe a cross shape on top of each bun.
