Hot cross buns are my favorite bread item this time of year. They’re good warm, or room temperature. They’re yeasty, chewy, fragrant and have just the right amount of sweetness. So I wanted to share my favorite recipe with everyone for Ostara, Easter or just to celebrate the Spring.
Most of this recipe comes from the book Breadby Jeffrey Hamelman.
Sponge: ¼ cup Bread Flour
7/8 cup Milk (warm, not hot)
½ tablespoon Sugar
2 ¼ teaspoon Instant Dry Yeast
Whisk all of the ingredients together, cover with plastic wrap and let it stand until it grows 3 to 4 times the size (about 30-40 minutes).
Dough: 2 ¾ cups Bread Flour
4 tablespoons Butter
1 Egg
¼ cup Sugar
½ teaspoon Salt
½ tablespoon Ground Allspice
Sponge
¾ cup Dried Currents
¼ cup chopped Candied Lemon Peel
Add all of the ingredients ( except fruit) into a mixer, making sure that the sponge is first and the flour and salt is last. Mix on first speed until everything is combined, then turn to second speed and let it go for about six minutes. Add fruit near the end. The dough should form a nice pliable ball. Place in a large bowl and cover in plastic wrap, and a towel if the room is cold.
Let stand for 40 minutes, then fold the dough. Folding dough is just like it sounds. Place the dough on a wooden surface and taking one side in your fingers, fold it to the center. Repeat for all four sides. Place back in bowl and recover for another 25 minutes.
Fold the dough again, then divide into 12 equal pieces. Round the pieces into a ball shape and place on a sheet pan. Cover with plastic again to rise a final time. About 1 hour.
Now comes time for the crossing paste. Combine 1/2 cup Pastry Flour, .75 ounces of shortening and a 1/3 cup of milk. The mix should be firm but pipeable. Adjust milk according to make that happen. You don’t want to hurt your hand squeezing too hard. Also at this time make a simple syrup with equal parts sugar and water. Flavor it to taste with ground ginger and lemon zest.
When buns are nice and place the crossing paste in a pastry bag with a round tip and pipe a criss-cross pattern on each bun. Bake in a 440 degree oven for about 15 minutes. I say about because every oven is different and baking times may very. Check on them after ten minutes. When their hot out of the oven brush them with the sugar syrup.
Not only are they tasty, your house will smell fantastic.
Enjoy 🙂