A Generous Table

I made a giant batch of 4 dozen buns this year – perhaps a few too many, but my friends and co-workers are happy to eat them!  Since I am experimenting with white whole wheat flour, I decided to try these out with a little of it added to the dough.  Maybe it will help offset the effects of all the Peeps and Cadbury Cream Eggs I’ve been eating! (Or not.) Don’t try to add in any more of the whole wheat flour or your buns will be heavy and not as nice…

Hot Cross Buns

• 1 cup lukewarm milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) dried yeast
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1 cup dried currants or raisins
• zest of one lemon or orange
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For Glaze:

In a small bowl, mix 1 Tablespoon of sugar with 2 Tablespoons warm water until dissolved, reserve.

For Icing:

• 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup powdered (confectioner’s) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2-2 Tablespoons milk
• pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter)

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl if mixing by hand, combine milk, sugar and yeast.  Let mixture rest for 5 minutes, or until foamy.  Mix in salt, egg, butter and flour until a nice dough forms (use a dough hook if you are using the stand mixer)  Knead in (by hand or machine) the currants/raisins, zest and spices.  Knead dough until smooth and elastic – about 6-8 minutes with the mixer or 10-12 by hand.  Form dough into a ball and place back in bowl to rise, covering with plastic wrap or a non-terrycloth towel.  *Remember, this dough has raw egg in it, so make sure to thoroughly clean off your work surface and wash hands to prevent cross contamination.  Let rise in a warm spot for about and hour at room temperature, or overnight refrigerated, until doubled in bulk.  Punch dough down and knead a few times.   Cut dough into 24 pieces (I usually halve the dough, then quarter each half, then cut each quarter in thirds for more or less even pieces) and form into balls.  Divide buns between 2 large, parchment paper lined cookie sheets and lightly cover with non-terry cloth towels or a piece of plastic wrap lightly draped over.  *Do not tuck edges of towels or plastic wrap around the tray or the buns won’t rise as well and they will stick to the covering and deflate when you pull it off.  Let rise 45 minutes to an hour at warm room temperature, or until doubled.  Start preheating your oven to 375F about 30 minutes into the final rising.  Meanwhile make glaze and reserve.  When buns are doubled, slash a cross on top of each bun with a sharp knife (optional) and bake buns in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden and they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.  Remove from oven and brush quickly with glaze.  Return to the oven for a minute or two to dry the glaze.  Remove buns from oven and let cool on a wire rack.  Make the icing by combining the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt, if using.  Stir in just enough milk to make the icing just thin enough to pour from a spoon.  Using a spoon, pour icing in a cross pattern on top of the buns (this is where cutting the cross in the bun comes in handy – you can fill the slashes).  Makes 24 buns.  Best eaten the day they are made, but are still good the next day.  These can be frozen, well wrapped, up to 3 months.