Heavenly Hot Cross Buns

I have been trying to expand my baking repertoire over the past several months and have taken a particular interest in bread. I made a beautiful brioche star bread this past Christmas and was amazed by the final result. Since then I have been looking for new bread recipes to incorporate into my collection.

Easter is around the corner, so several weeks ago I began a quest to find a bread recipe that could meet the occasion. I searched through my cook books until I found the perfect Easter bread, Hot Cross Buns.

When I was a kid I would often see Hot Cross Buns in the springtime at the grocery store with my mom, or on the special occasion, peering into a bakery window on the west part of town, nose pressed against the glass. I remember the excitement of seeing and smelling the special Easter buns with their shiny glaze, delicate icing crosses and dried fruits. When opening one of many recently gifted cookbooks, Canadian Family Cooking circa 1986 (I'm not one to diss baking archives), I  found a recipe for Hot Cross Buns from Nova Scotia that I was incredibly excited to try it out. East coasters know bread.

This recipe does not disappoint. It is fairly straight forward, but as with all bread, you need a little patience. Waiting for it to rise is the hard part, almost as difficult as trying not to eat them all when finished! This bread is slightly sweet, with a hint of spice and lovely currants that amount to a soft, sweet bun, with icing crosses on top to finish.

This recipe has received rave reviews by my fellow tasters, including my husband who has requested them again for Good Friday. Although these treats are typically associated with Good Friday and Easter, they would be perfect at any time of the year for breakfast, or with a cup of afternoon tea.

Don't they look heavenly?

Heavenly Hot Cross Buns

Makes 1 dozen large buns
Time: 4 hours and 15 minutes, including rising

Ingredients

Bread
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast (15 ml)
1 cup warm milk
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted (plus extra for greasing)
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup currants

Egg Wash
1 egg yolk, beaten
Approx 1 tsp of milk

Icing
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
2 tablespoons warm water

Instructions

1. Dissolve 1 teaspoon (5ml) of the total 1/2 cup of sugar in the warm water. Add yeast and let it stand for approximately 15 minutes, until foamy.
2. Stir together the milk, eggs and butter. In a large mixing bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour with the remaining sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in the milk mixture, followed by the yeast mixture, and then the currants until well mixed. With your hands, gradually work in enough of the remaining flour to make a thick dough (ensure all flour is sifted). Move the dough to a floured wooden board or a floured piece of wax paper and knead it for approximately 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. You can also use the dough attachment of your stand mixer. 
3. Place the dough in a greased bowl (I used unsalted butter), cover it with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let it rise for approximately one and a half hours, until the dough has doubled in size.
4. Punch down the dough and shape it into 12 buns about 1/2 inch thick. Place them on a greased 13 x 18 inch baking sheet (I used unsalted butter), about an inch apart, and cover them tightly with a clean tea towel until doubled in size, approximately 30 minutes. 
5. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
6. Mix the beaten egg yolk with the milk. Add a little more if required to thin out the egg yolk. Brush the buns with the glaze. 
7. Bake the buns for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden. 
8. While baking, create the simple icing by mixing the icing sugar and warm water. Add more icing sugar if the icing is too runny, or a bit more water if too thick (1/2 tbsp at a time). 
9. Take the buns out of the oven and let cool slightly. Once warm (but not hot), decorate the buns by spooning or piping the icing in a cross shape over top. I found it easiest to create a continuous line of icing across all buns in one direction to prevent the icing from spreading unevenly in one spot.

These buns should be stored in a seal proof container at room temperature. They are best eaten within 2 days.
Enjoy!