Spring is here! I know this because last weekend I went for a run in a t-shirt, there are crocuses everywhere, the cherry trees are blossoming, and hot cross buns are appearing on the bakery shelves. Also, Sunday was the first day of spring, so… I guess that makes it official.
I like hot cross buns – or rather, I want to like hot cross buns, but I rarely find a store-bought one that meets my expectations. Mostly because they all contain either candied peel or glacée fruit (bleh!). I also find the texture of store-bought hot cross buns to be somewhat lacking, so I decided to try making them myself.
I’ve gotten fairly comfortable with yeast doughs through experimenting with the no-knead doughs in the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day (which is super fantastic and I would recommend to everyone), and I had an idea of what kind of dough/final texture I was looking for. I considered using the no-knead challah dough from Artisan Bread, but then I realized that I just needed to find a recipe that used a similar kind of dough, enriched with butter and eggs. I finally settled on a Martha Stewart recipe, which had an enriched dough that contained lemon and orange zest, but no spices. So, I consulted a Canadian Living recipe and used it as a basis for adding cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to the Martha Stewart recipe. The result is exactly what I ever could have wanted in a hot cross bun: rich, dense-but-light texture, just the right spice with citrus notes, and best of all, no nasty candied peel or glacée fruit! In my search for the perfect recipe, I came across several that contained only currants, and one with golden raisins and dried cherries, so I used all three, and it’s a great combination. Another thing to consider was what kind of “cross” to put on the buns – a flour/water paste combination applied before baking, or an icing cross applied after baking. My personal preference is for the flour/water paste, so I went with that. As a result, there is actually nothing about the recipe I would change next time – I would just refine my technique a little!
I halved the original recipe (which yielded two dozen), and after the first rise, I took half the dough and stuck it in the freezer because I though that twelve buns at once would be overkill, so I only ended up with six buns. When I decide I want more (which will probably be much sooner than later!), I will let the dough thaw to room temperature, divide it into six, and continue on from the second rise.
[Edited to add: if you choose to bake these using frozen dough, the second rise may take a bit longer...]
Ready for the first rise.
The second rise – proofing on the laundry rack in the spare room, which was the warmest place in the house. Please ignore the dirty laundry 
After proofing, ready for the crosses to be applied.
You can already see the spicy goodness!
Crossed and ready for the oven (next time, I will make the crosses skinnier).
Eighteen minutes later.
Cooling…
… glazed…
…
… and eaten!
Perfect Hot Cross Buns
adapted from Martha Stewart’s recipe
Dough:
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tbsp honey
1 pkg instant yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
zest of 1/2 a lemon and 1/2 an orange
1 tbsp + 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
2 eggs, beaten
2 3/4 cups + 2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 cup each currants, chopped golden raisins, and chopped dried cherries (3/4 cup total)
3 tbsp apricot jam, for glazing
Bun Cross Paste:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup + 1 1/2 tsp water
scant 1/2 cup flour
dash of salt
Heat the milk to 110˚ F (should feel warm but not hot on the inside of your wrist). Pour in a mixer bowl with all the dough ingredients except for the flour, dried fruit, and jam, and mix with a fork to incorporate. Add the flour and mix with a dough hook on low speed until a soft sticky dough forms around the hook. Continue kneading about 4 minutes more, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
Add the dried fruit and knead with the dough hook to incorporate. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and kneed by hand to evenly distribute the fruit. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, until doubled in size.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn dough out onto a flour surface and shape into a log. Divide the log in half, and cut each half into 6 pieces (for 12 total). Shape each into a tightly formed ball by stretching the top and pinching the bottom to secure. Place on the baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours in a warm place (until the buns are touching and doubled in size).
One hour before the end of the rise, combine the Bun Cross Paste ingredients and whisk to form a smooth paste. Let sit for 1 hour before using.
Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Place the Bun Cross Paste in a small Ziplock bag, cut the tip off one corner to make a small hole, and pipe as cross onto each bun. Place in the oven and bake 18 – 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes, until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped on the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.
Heat the apricot jam, then strain through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Brush the glaze over each bun. Store in an airtight container.
Makes 12.
