Hot Cross Buns
Recipe by Nicole Thom-Arens
Makes 12 buns
The spice and dried fruit of hot cross buns makes them such a special treat that bridges winter and spring. About twenty years ago, Panera made these delicious celebratory rolls at Easter. Theirs were filled with orange peel and dried strawberries. This recipe is a nod to those buns and adapted from a recipe by Genevieve Ko posted in the New York Times. I’ve added a bit of whole wheat and swapped granulated sugar for brown sugar to add a more interesting sweetness. I like to skip the icing that sometimes tops hot cross buns so that I can freeze them and then enjoy them toasted. These buns are packed with dried fruit. If you’d like less fruit, you can start with 1/2 cup each of the strawberries and orange peel. These do require two 90-minute proofing periods, so time them accordingly.
Ingredients:1 1/3 cups whole milk, lukewarm2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar, divided1 egg1 cup whole wheat flour2 2/3 cups bread flour1 teaspoon cinnamon1 teaspoon ginger1/2 heaping teaspoon cardamom 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt (Reduce to 1 teaspoon if not using Diamond.)3/4 cup dried strawberries2/3 cup candied orange peel
Topping:2/3 cup bread flour1/2 cup water
Instructions:
1. Prep the dried strawberries by cutting them into bit-sized pieces. Measure out 3/4 cup and set aside.2. In a large mixing bowl, add the yeast and 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar.3. Heat the milk on the stovetop to lukewarm. Add half the warm milk to the yeast and sugar mixture. 4. Whisk with a Danish whisk until the sugar dissolves.5. While the yeast is proofing, add the softened butter to the warmed milk. Stir until the butter is melted. (Return the milk to low heat to melt the butter if necessary. Be sure not to overheat the mixture. It should still be only lukewarm.) 6. After the yeast has bloomed, add the milk and butter mixture, remaining brown sugar, egg, and whole wheat flour. Whisk to combine until there are no lumps. (This helps develop the gluten in the whole wheat flour.)7. Add the bread flour and spices. Whisk until well combined.8. Add the salt. Whisk until combined.9. Turn the dough out onto a clean worksurface dusted with 1 tablespoon bread flour.10. Sprinkle the top of the dough with a pinch of additional flour. (The dough will be wet and sticky to start. Use just enough flour so that it doesn’t stick to your hands. This should only be 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour.)11. Knead the dough for 5 minutes. 12. After 5 minutes of kneading, add the dried strawberries and candied orange peel. 13. Knead for an additional 5 to 7 minutes to incorporate the dried fruit and develop the gluten. (Well-kneaded dough should be smooth and springy. It can be difficult to stretch this dough for the windowpane test due to addition of the fruit.) 14. Let the dough rest while you wash and dry the mixing bowl. Grease the bowl with butter. 15. From the dough into a large ball and transfer to the buttered mixing bowl. Turn the dough to coat it. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let rise for 90 minutes. 16. While the dough is proofing, grease a 9x13-inch baking dish/cake pan with butter. Set aside.17. Once the dough has doubled, deflate and move it to a clean, un-floured worksurface. 18. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. (I like to use a food scale for this to get equally sized buns.)19. To shape the buns, flatten the portion of dough and fold in the corners to make a round shape. Place the dough on the worksurface seam side down. Cup the ball into the palm of your hand and roll the dough in a counterclockwise circle until it forms into a tight ball. (Try to keep the fruit tucked inside the buns to prevent burning while baking.) 20. Place the buns into the baking dish in 4 rows of 3. 21. Cover the baking dish/cake pan with the tea towel and allow to rise for an additional 90 minutes. 22. When the buns have almost fully risen, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 23. Make the topping by mixing the 2/3 cup bread flour and 1/2 cup water. Mix to make a paste. Add the paste to a zip lock bag. Snip a small corner of the bag, and pipe the flour paste across each row of buns both horizontally and vertically so that each bun has a cross in the center. (Don’t allow this mix to sit for any extended period of time or the gluten will develop and it will become stretchy and hard to pipe.)24. Bake the buns for 20 to 25 minutes until they are golden brown and an internal thermometer reads 190 degrees. 25. Allow the buns to cool slightly before enjoying.
Ingredients:1 1/3 cups whole milk, lukewarm2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar, divided1 egg1 cup whole wheat flour2 2/3 cups bread flour1 teaspoon cinnamon1 teaspoon ginger1/2 heaping teaspoon cardamom 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt (Reduce to 1 teaspoon if not using Diamond.)3/4 cup dried strawberries2/3 cup candied orange peel
Topping:2/3 cup bread flour1/2 cup water
Instructions:
1. Prep the dried strawberries by cutting them into bit-sized pieces. Measure out 3/4 cup and set aside.2. In a large mixing bowl, add the yeast and 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar.3. Heat the milk on the stovetop to lukewarm. Add half the warm milk to the yeast and sugar mixture. 4. Whisk with a Danish whisk until the sugar dissolves.5. While the yeast is proofing, add the softened butter to the warmed milk. Stir until the butter is melted. (Return the milk to low heat to melt the butter if necessary. Be sure not to overheat the mixture. It should still be only lukewarm.) 6. After the yeast has bloomed, add the milk and butter mixture, remaining brown sugar, egg, and whole wheat flour. Whisk to combine until there are no lumps. (This helps develop the gluten in the whole wheat flour.)7. Add the bread flour and spices. Whisk until well combined.8. Add the salt. Whisk until combined.9. Turn the dough out onto a clean worksurface dusted with 1 tablespoon bread flour.10. Sprinkle the top of the dough with a pinch of additional flour. (The dough will be wet and sticky to start. Use just enough flour so that it doesn’t stick to your hands. This should only be 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour.)11. Knead the dough for 5 minutes. 12. After 5 minutes of kneading, add the dried strawberries and candied orange peel. 13. Knead for an additional 5 to 7 minutes to incorporate the dried fruit and develop the gluten. (Well-kneaded dough should be smooth and springy. It can be difficult to stretch this dough for the windowpane test due to addition of the fruit.) 14. Let the dough rest while you wash and dry the mixing bowl. Grease the bowl with butter. 15. From the dough into a large ball and transfer to the buttered mixing bowl. Turn the dough to coat it. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let rise for 90 minutes. 16. While the dough is proofing, grease a 9x13-inch baking dish/cake pan with butter. Set aside.17. Once the dough has doubled, deflate and move it to a clean, un-floured worksurface. 18. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. (I like to use a food scale for this to get equally sized buns.)19. To shape the buns, flatten the portion of dough and fold in the corners to make a round shape. Place the dough on the worksurface seam side down. Cup the ball into the palm of your hand and roll the dough in a counterclockwise circle until it forms into a tight ball. (Try to keep the fruit tucked inside the buns to prevent burning while baking.) 20. Place the buns into the baking dish in 4 rows of 3. 21. Cover the baking dish/cake pan with the tea towel and allow to rise for an additional 90 minutes. 22. When the buns have almost fully risen, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 23. Make the topping by mixing the 2/3 cup bread flour and 1/2 cup water. Mix to make a paste. Add the paste to a zip lock bag. Snip a small corner of the bag, and pipe the flour paste across each row of buns both horizontally and vertically so that each bun has a cross in the center. (Don’t allow this mix to sit for any extended period of time or the gluten will develop and it will become stretchy and hard to pipe.)24. Bake the buns for 20 to 25 minutes until they are golden brown and an internal thermometer reads 190 degrees. 25. Allow the buns to cool slightly before enjoying.