The cross on the bun symbolizes the crucifixion of Christ. There are many stories about the buns and some are dated as far back as the 12th century. The Hot cross buns were sold only during the week of Easter. As they became popular, they are being sold and made year around. I relate to the Hot cross buns or Easter Buns with the popular Nursery rhyme that I learned in elementary school. Since this bun is popular in many countries, I chose England as the country that I am going to label it under. When researching for recipes, I found many different Easter Buns with minor changes. Some were heavily spiced and some were just basic ones. Also, the cross was made with either a flour mixture or using icing sugar. I worked with the recipes and made something that my family would like and yet kept it as traditional as I could. It feels very good to be posting this recipe right around Easter time. I also chose to make it eggless and used sour cream as my egg alternative. The dough is very basic and I used some spiced milk to make the dough.
Ingredients needed
To make the Dough
Milk - 75 ml Butter - 25 g (2 tbsp) Clove - 2 Cardamom - 2 All Purpose flour - 1 ¾ - 2 cups Instant yeast - 1 ½ tsp Cinnamon powder - ½ tsp Nutmeg - ¼ tsp Ginger powder - ¼ tsp Salt - ½ tsp Sugar - 3 tbsp Sour cream - 1 tbsp Raisin - ½ cup Cream plus milk - 1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon (to brush on the rolls)
To make the cross
All-purpose flour - 2 tbsp Confectionery sugar - 1 tbsp Water - 1 tbsp
Step-by-step process
Make the Dough
In a saucepan, add the milk, butter, cloves, and cardamom and heat it until the butter melts. Let it cool down to a lukewarm temperature. Strain the milk and use it in the dough.
I made the dough in my food processor. Add the flour, salt, sugar, instant yeast, raisins, and spices to the bowl of the food processor.
Add the sour cream and give it a mix.
Now add the lukewarm milk to the flour mixture and form a soft dough. If needed add a little more flour or milk.
Knead the dough until it is very soft and then place it in a greased bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and then a kitchen towel and place it in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in volume.
Shape the dough
Once the dough has risen, punch it down gently and then divide it into 8 equal pieces.
Roll each piece of dough into a taut ball and place it on a parchment-lined baking dish.
Using a butter knife, make a deep cut in the shape of a cross on each ball.
Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it proof again until they are puffy. About 45 minutes to an hour.
In the meantime, mix all the ingredients mentioned to make the cross. Transfer the paste to a Ziploc bag and seal it.
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Once the dough balls have puffed up, use a pastry brush and liberally brush the top of the hot cross buns with the cream and milk mixture.
Now make a small hole in one corner of the Ziploc bag with the flour paste and draw the cross over the buns right where we made a cut.
Bake the buns
Place the buns in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the top of the buns is golden brown and shiny. Keep an eye on starting from about 15 minutes as the cooking times vary by the oven.
Remove the hot cross buns on a cooling rack and serve warm with butter.
Expert Tips
Use fresh yeast as with any baking. Expired yeast might not be active and will result in the dough not rising. I have used sour cream as an egg replacement for this hot cross bun and it works well. Feel free to use any other alternative that works for you. Making the deep cut over the buns before placing the cross is important. Otherwise, the cross-design that we draw can slide off when baking.
Frequently asked questions
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