Easy Hot Cross Buns & How I Avoid Getting Bored During Baking

Growing up, my mother made hot cross buns each year at Easter, and gave some to all our neighbours. It was a lovely tradition, and I remember little Margaret kneeling on the kitchen chair, trying to help stir the dough. And by help stir the dough, I mean eat the candied fruit. (Apparently my sweet tooth was prominent at an early age!)

I don’t normally make a lot of fancy-ish breads, because I find waiting for the dough to rise such a pain (Patience? Me? Ha!) but in this case, I mixed up the dough and left it to rise while I went for a walk with the DH and my sister. Then I came back and let it rise for the second time while I made dinner. I baked it during dinner, and then was able to eat it for dessert! Now that’s my kind of baking!

A lot of fancy-ish breads (that’s the technical term, doncha know?) are what are called ‘enriched’, which just means that they have more butter/oil, milk, and eggs in them. I decided to start with my basic pizza dough recipe (Easiest Pizza Dough in the History of Ever) and enrich it with milk, a dollop of butter, and some eggs. And whadya know, it turned out fantastic!

I think my goal of making an easy, no-fuss hot cross bun recipe was achieved! Want to make some yourself? Let’s!

Easy Hot Cross Buns

Dough

• 1 tbsp. yeast
• 1 c. warm to hot milk (not boiling, but not lukewarm)
• 3 eggs
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 3 tbsp. melted butter, cooled
• 2 1/2 c. flour
• 1/2 c. raisins
• 1/2 c. dried candied fruit
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Icing

• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 c. icing sugar

Mix yeast and milk and let sit until foamy, about 15 minutes. In a mixer (or by hand), mix in remaining ingredients, except for raisins, candied fruit, and one egg, until dough forms. Then mix in raisins and candied fruit.  Let rise in a warm place for about an hour or until dough is doubled in size.

Punch down dough, and cut into 12 pieces. Form each piece into a ball, and place on a greased cookie tray, or silicone mat. Let rise again, until doubled in size.

Beat the remaining egg, and brush it on the tops of the buns. This will give the buns the characteristic golden-brown crust. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until buns sound hollow when you knock on the bottom of one.

Let cool. Mixing icing sugar and lemon juice together, and drizzle on buns in a cross shape. Eat! And delight in your deliciously fruity buns! (Hmm. Perhaps I should rework that last sentence.) Point is, they’re yummy!

I realized after I made these, that I forgot to add in the spices (the cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon). I told my mom.

My mum: “Slight oversight, Margaret!”

Margaret: “Um, no, the candied fruit is the most important part!”

I guess I haven’t changed that much since I was little; once a sweet tooth, always a sweet tooth!

Next Post: Maybe some Easter cookies? I’m actually off to bake cookies with the son of a friend right now!

Linking up at Meal Plan Monday, Happiness is Homemade, and Inspire Me Monday!