Some believe the eating of hot cross buns on Good Friday marks the end of Lent. Even though most people who attempt to practice lent miss the point. The delight of the buns is a welcomed treat for those who have passed the 40 days of sacrifice and fasting.
Why not make them for any special occasion? My husband was looking for something to make for Good Friday and he came upon this recipe at A Classic Twist with Zainab Storms. Her blog features recipes from people who get creative in their kitchen. Check out her recipe below or visit her blog for more delicious recipes.
Overall, we were very happy with the recipe and enjoyed it with coffee or an afternoon snack! We did not warm them and we just covered it with a plastic wrap.
Hot Cross Buns
YIELD: 9 BUNS
These traditional hot cross buns are soft and sweet with distinct flavors of lemon, cloves and nutmeg on the inside and crisp on the outside
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups bread flour
- 1 package RED STAR Active Dry Yeast or Quick-Rise Yeast
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¾ cup raisins or currants
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 3-4 teaspoons water
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine 1 ½ cup flour, yeast, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt, lemon zest and sugar.
- In a small saucepan, heat milk, water and butter to 120-130 degrees F. Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add egg and beat for additional one minute. Add the remaining flour and raisins to make a soft dough. Using the hook attachment of your mixer, knead the dough until smooth and elastic on low for 3-4 minutes. Alternatively, knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 5-7 minutes. Lightly grease a large bowl and place the dough in bowl. Turn over once to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until dough doubles in size. About 2 hours.
- Lightly grease two 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans. Punch down the dough and divide into three equal parts. Divide each third into three equal smooth balls. Cover pans and let rise until an indentation remains after lightly touched, about an hour.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Make the glaze but whisking the ingredients together. Brush the buns with glaze. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan and let cool completely on rack.
- To make frosting, whisk all the ingredients together. Frost the buns, making a cross on each bun.
Notes
*Prep time includes rising of dough*