Celtic Homemade Hot Cross Buns Recipes

BRITISH HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• Heat milk in a small saucepan to 110 degrees F (43 degrees C); pour milk into a bowl. Whisk 1/2 cup flour and yeast into milk; cover with plastic wrap and let stand until bubbly, about 15 minutes.
• Place 1 2/3 cups flour, 1/3 cup white sugar, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg into the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment; turn mixer on for a few seconds on low speed to combine. Place butter into flour mixture; mix on low speed until incorporated, about 2 minutes.
• Place yeast mixture and egg into flour mixture; mix on low speed for 2 minutes. Stop mixer and allow to rest for 10 minutes; mix on medium speed until smooth and elastic, about 2 minutes. At slowest speed, mix currants and citron into dough until evenly distributed, about 1 minute.
• Butter the inside of a large bowl; place dough in bowl, turn to butter dough on all sides. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat dough into a rough square, and cut into 12 equal pieces. Form each piece into a round bun; place on prepared baking sheet. Press a cross into each bun with the back of a knife; cover buns with a damp cloth and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Bake buns in the preheated oven until deep golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• Bring 2 tablespoons white sugar with 1 tablespoon water to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove buns from oven; lift parchment and transfer buns to a wire rack. Brush immediately with sugar glaze; allow buns to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• Stir confectioners' sugar and remaining 2 teaspoons water together in a small bowl; heat icing mixture in microwave until smooth and warm to the touch, about 10 seconds. Place icing in a sandwich bag, snip off one corner of the bag, and pipe in a cross over fully cooled buns; allow icing to dry for 30 minutes.

TRADITIONAL HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. In a large bowl, combine eggs, butter, sugar, salt, spices, yeast mixture and 3 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in currants, raisins and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky)., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until dough is smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide and shape into 30 balls. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover with kitchen towels; let rise in a warm place until doubled, 30-45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°., Using a sharp knife, cut a cross on top of each bun. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk and water; brush over tops. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool slightly., For icing, in a small bowl, mix confectioners' sugar and enough milk to reach desired consistency. Pipe a cross on top of each bun. Serve warm.

CELTIC HOMEMADE HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour with the yeast and cinnamon.
• Heat milk, vegetable oil, sugar, and salt in a saucepan until warm; stir constantly. Remove from heat and beat for 3 minutes at high speed. Add all at once to the flour mixture, along with the eggs. Beat at low speed for 1 minute, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat 3 more minutes at high speed. Stir in currants and as much of remaining flour as possible.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead in enough of remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to coat surface. Cover with a towel and place in a warm spot. Let rise until double, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch dough down and turn out onto lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Divide dough into 18 pieces and form each into a smooth ball. Place on a greased baking sheet 1 1/2 inches apart. Cover; let rise until nearly double (30 to 45 minutes).
• With a sharp knife, cut a cross (to represent either the cross of Christ, the sun, or the combination of male and female energies) onto each. Brush tops of each bun with some of the slightly beaten egg white (reserve remaining white).
• Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. Cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, combine powdered sugar, vanilla, dash of salt, and the reserved egg white. Add more milk if necessary to give it piping consistency. Pipe crosses on top of buns with a pastry decorator.

HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• Measure the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and lemon zest into a large mixing bowl or into the work bowl of a food processor.
• Heat milk to boiling in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Remove from heat and add the butter.
• Stir until the butter is melted.
• Stir in the eggs.
• Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, and process or mix with an electric mixer until the dough is smooth but soft, about 2 minutes.
• Mix in the raisins, almonds, and candied fruits.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour.
• Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Turn the dough out onto an oiled surface.
• Dust the dough with flour and knead to express air bubbles.
• Divide the dough into 16 equal parts.
• Shape each into a round ball.
• Place the balls of dough, smooth side up, about 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
• Let rise in a warm place, lightly covered, until almost doubled, for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400 F.
• Brush the tops of the buns with the egg glaze.
• Slash a cross in the center of each bun with a sharp knife.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden.
• While the buns bake, mix the icing ingredients in a small bowl.
• Place the icing into a pastry bag with a small tip.
• Slide the parchment onto the counter top to cool or transfer the rolls onto a wire rack to cool.
• Pipe the icing into the shape of a cross on top of each bun.
• Serve warm.
• Makes 16 buns.
• Beatrice Ojakangas.
• The Great Holiday Baking Book.

HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• Mix the yeast with one tablespoon of the sugar and all of the milk in a small bowl. Whisk until the yeast is dissolved. Cover the bowl and stand in a warm place for about 10 minutes or until the mixture is frothy.
• Sift the flour, spices and salt into a large bowl; rub in the butter with your fingertips, until the butter is thoroughly distributed.
• Stir in the remaining sugar, fruit, yeast mixture, egg and the water to make a soft dough.
• Cover the bowl with oiled plastic wrap and stand in a warm place for about one hour or until mixture is doubled in size.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• Divide the dough into 18 portions and roll each into a ball.
• Place the balls, almost touching, on a large greased oven tray. Stand in a warm place for about 20 minutes or until dough is almost doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 220°C or 200°C if fan-forced.
• FOR THE FLOUR PASTE: Sift flour and sugar into a small bowl; gradually stir in enough water to make a smooth thick paste. Place the Flour Paste into a resealable plastic bag and snip a tiny piece off one corner. Pipe crosses onto the buns.
• Bake the buns for about 15 minutes or until they sound hollow when tapped.
• Transfer the buns to a wire rack and brush the tops with the Glaze.
• FOR THE GLAZE: Combine the glaze ingredients until the sugar and gelatine are dissolved.
• Hot cross buns are best eaten the day or next day from baking. Can be frozen.

HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• Combine yeast, water, and milk; stir well.
• Mix with, potatoes, sugar, salt, butter, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and raisins.
• Beat in flour by cups.
• Knead 5 minutes.
• Let rise 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch down and divide in half 5 times, for 32 pieces of dough.
• Fold the corners in to make balls.
• Snip a cross onto the top of each ball.
• Let rise for 40 minutes.
• Brush with egg yolk and water.
• Bake 20 minutes at 375.
• While the buns are baking, combine milk, sugar, and vanilla to make icing.
• When buns are cool, drizzle icing over cross.

GLUTEN-FREE HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• Bring milk to a boil, then remove from heat and add in the butter. Leave to cool.
• Combine the flour, salt, maple syrup, and yeast in a bowl. Make a well in the center then pour in the milk and butter mixture.
• Add in the egg then combine everything together until a sticky dough is formed.
• Tip on to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. About 5 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with cling film and leave in a warm place until dough has doubled in volume. About an hour.
• Put the raisins into the dough and knead it inches Leave to rise for 1 more hour.
• Divide the dough into even pieces(about 75 grams each).
• Roll each piece of dough into a ball. Arrange on a baking tray lined with parchment paper then set aside to proof for another hour.
• Heat the oven to 200C/390°F.
• Mix the extra flour with about 5 tablespoons of water, forming a thick paste. Spoon this mixture into a piping bag. Pipe onto the buns to create the crosses.
• Bake for 20 minutes.
• Brush maple syrup over the top of each bun.

CLASSIC HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• BUNS: Dissolve 1 tablespoons sugar in water. Sprinkle yeast over water and let stand for 20 minutes, or until frothy.
• Heat evaporated milk until just steaming.
• In a bowl, blend remaininig sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cloves; make a well; in a separate bowl, whisk evaporated milk, oil and eggs. Combine milk and yeast mixtures to flour mixture, stirring until a soft dough forms.
• Knead dough on a lighty floured sruface, adding extra flour as needed, for 8 minutes or until smooth. Place in a lightly oiled bowl turning to coat. Cover and place in a warm area to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
• Punch down the dough; turn out onto a lighty floured surface; knead in currants and peel. Roll into a log and cut into 12 pieces. Shape into balls and place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400°F Bake buns 12 minutes or until golden brown.
• GLAZE: Heat sugar with water over medium heat until dissolved, brush over hot buns.
• FROSTING: Blend icing sugar with evaporated milk. Pipe a cross on each of the cooled buns.