HOT CROSS BUN

“Hot cross buns, hot cross buns, one a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns”

Who wouldn’t have grown up singing this rhyme.. We all have 😀

Hot cross buns have rich history and traditionally eaten on Good Friday but now available round the year in parts of Europe, USA, Africa, India, Australia, Canada and more. They have a sweet, bit spicy and tangy flavor.

So, here is my attempt in making them (the recipe may differ a bit from the traditional one) after searching tonnes of recipes.

So, join me and sing “hot cross buns” while we make it. 🙂

Cooking Time: 2.5 hours approximately

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

All-purpose flour: 2 cups

Yeast: 2 tea spoon

Castor sugar: 1 table spoon

Dry milk powder: 1/4 cup

Cinnamon powder: 1/2 tea spoon

Egg: 1

Butter/ Refined oil: 1/2 cup

Salt: 1/2 tea spoon

Dried cranberries: 1/2 cup

For the cross:

Lemon juice: 1 tea spoon

Flour: 2 – 3 table spoon

Castor sugar: 1 tea spoon

METHOD:

1. Take half a cup of water and add yeast, sugar and mix properly. Keep it for about 2 minutes.

2. In a bowl, add all-purpose flour, salt, dry milk powder, cinnamon powder and mix them together with a whisk. Then add the yeast mixture, butter/oil, beaten egg and assemble everything together.

3. On a clean platform either use dry flour or oil or knead the dough properly. I used oil.

4. Just few drops of oil on the surface and knead the dough back and forth with your palm until it becomes smooth and stops sticking to the surface.

5. Now add the cranberries (instead you can use any dried fruit of your choice, you can add raisins as well) and fold the dough.

6. Now grease the bowl and keep the dough to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or more.

Best is to keep inside your oven or microwave (switched off, of course 😉)

7. Punch down the risen dough and make small balls out of it. Size you can make as you wish, I made 8 small buns out of the given quantity. Place them on the baking tray dusted with flour.

8. Cover with a kitchen towel and keep them for another 20 – 25 minutes to rise more.

FOR THE CROSS:

1. Add Castor sugar, flour, lemon juice and mix. Add little water to even the consistency. It should neither be too thin nor thick.

2. Take a piping bag or if you do not have one, like me 😛, take one zip lock bag. Put one corner of it inside a glass and add the mixture. Press down the mixture and then cut off the tip of the bag.

3. Now make cross on all the buns and keep them to bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 20 – 25 minutes or until done.