Hot Cross Buns

🧂 Ingredients

• ¼ cup rum

  (or apple juice)
• ½ cup raisins

  (or currants)
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup dried cherries

  (unsweetened)
• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup bread flour
• 2 ¼ teaspoon instant yeast

  (or 1 packet)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ¼ cup light brown sugar

  (packed)
• 6 tablespoon butter

  (room temperature)
• 2 large eggs

  (room temperature)
• 1 large egg yolk

  (room temperature - save the egg white for coating the rolls)
• 1 ¼ cups milk

  (room temperature)
• 1 large egg white

  (reserved from earlier)
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  (or almond extract)
• 1-2 tablespoon heavy cream

  (or half & half, use enough to make a thick pipeable icing)

Instructions

• 1 Place all of your dried fruit (¼ cup dried cranberries, ½ cup raisins, ¼ cup
  dried cherries) in a Pyrex or microwave-safe measuring cup, and pour the ¼ cup
  rum or apple juice over your mixed fruit. Cover with cling film and microwave in
  30-second intervals until the cling film is shrink-fit to the top of your
  measuring cup (usually 1-2 minutes total). Set the heated measuring cup of fruit
  aside and allow it to cool for 20-30 minutes.
• 2 In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the 2 ¼ teaspoon
  instant yeast, 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, and 1 cup bread flour (Or use only
  all-purpose flour if you don't have bread flour on hand).
• 3 Add spices (1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon
  ground nutmeg - allspice or cardamom can be substituted if needed), 1 ½ teaspoon
  salt, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and ¼ cup light brown sugar. Use a whisk or
  fork to quickly combine the dry ingredients.
• 4 Add the wet ingredients (6 tablespoon butter, 2 large eggs, 1 large egg yolk,
  and 1 ¼ cups milk) and combine, kneading until an elastic dough is formed (about
  3 minutes with a stand mixer). Mix in the cooled fruit and all of the rum or
  apple juice that was in your measuring cup.
• 5 Cover the dough with cling film or a warmed tea towel and allow it to rise for
  an hour (your dough may not double during that rise but will increase in bulk).
• 6 Turn your dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth.
  Divide your dough into approximately 12 portions (I usually fill my 9 x 13 pan
  with rows of 3 x 4 buns for my 12 portions). Round each portion into a nice bun,
  placing the bun seams side down in your lightly greased pan.
• 7 Cover the buns with cling film or your warmed tea towel again, and allow to rise
  for an additional hour. Or until they have increased in size enough that they
  are touching each other in the pan.
• 8 (When your dough is almost completely risen) Preheat your oven to 375℉ (190℃).
  Mix the reserved 1 large egg white with 1 tablespoon milk, whisk, and then brush
  over the tops of each of the buns.
• 9 Bake the hot cross buns for 25-30 minutes for a dozen, or 20-25 minutes if you
  have made 14 portions (or more). The buns will be golden brown when done.
• 10 Remove from the oven and turn out onto a wire cooling rack (the buns will pop
  out as one sheet of buns). Allow your hot cross buns to cool completely before
  making the cross with your icing.
• 11 In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 cup confectioners sugar, 1 pinch salt, 1
  teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1-2 tablespoon heavy cream. Stir until you have a
  nice thick icing (using more heavy cream if needed).
• 12 Transfer icing into a piping bag with a small round piping tip or into a ziplock
  baggie and snip a small tip off to pipe through. Make a cross on top of each of
  your buns.

Nutrition Info