Description
Spiced with a dash of nutmeg and freshly grated orange zest, these hot cross buns are perfectly sweet and such a treat! Find step-by-step instructions below for making hot cross buns from scratch two ways: overnight and same day.
Notes:
- Measure Accurately: For best results, please use a scale to measure.
- Warm Place to Rise: If you need a warm spot, preheat your oven for one minute, then turn it off — it shouldn’t get warmer than 100ºF or so and you should be able to press your hands on the grates without burning yourself. Place bowl of dough, covered, in this warm spot for 2 to 3 hours.
- Salt: If using a scale to measure, use 12 grams of whatever salt you are using. If you are using measuring spoons, use half as much if you are using Morton kosher salt or fine sea salt.
- If using active-dry yeast: Boil 1/3 cup of the milk and combine it with 2/3 cup cold milk — this should give you a nice lukewarm temperature. Test with your finger. Add a teaspoon of the white sugar and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Let stand for 15 minutes or until foamy. You can then whisk the egg into this mixture, and you can whisk in the melted butter, too, so long as it has cooled a bit. Then proceed with the recipe.
- Smaller Size Buns: In previous versions of this post, I divided the buns into 16 60-gram portions. If this is more appealing to you, go for it. You could also do 12 portions or really any size you like. There is something I find visually appealing about nine hot cross buns.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 3½ cups (450 g) or more unbleached bread flour or all-purpose
- 1/3 cup (65 g) sugar
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) instant yeast, see notes above
- 2.5 teaspoons (12 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt, see notes above
- zest of 1 clementine or orange
- nutmeg, about 1/4 teaspoon, or freshly grated, see instructions
- 1 cup (100 g) of dried currants or raisins, optional
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup (256 g) whole milk or 2%
- 4 tablespoons unsalted or salted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the pan
For the egg wash:
- 1 egg beaten with 2 teaspoons water
For the glaze (optional):
- juice of 1 clementine or orange to yield 2 tablespoons of juice
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
For the cross (See notes below for another option)
- 4 ounces softened cream cheese
- 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Using a microplane grater, grate in nutmeg to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon). Using the grater again, zest the clementine into the bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the currants or raisins, if using, and whisk one last time to combine. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and the milk (no need to heat) together. Add the melted butter and whisk to combine.
- Add the milk-egg-butter mixture to the bowl with the flour mixture. Use a spatula to combine all ingredients until flour is absorbed and you have a shaggy dough ball. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface (reserving the bowl) and knead briefly, about 60 seconds, using flour as needed until you have a cohesive ball. Return the dough to the bowl and slick the dough lightly with olive oil, rubbing to coat.
- Let the dough rise: Cover the bowl with a lid, a cloth bowl cover, or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm draft-free area until it has puffed considerably and is light to the touch, 2.5 to 3 hours. (See notes above for creating a warm place for your dough to rise.)
- Portion and proof: Butter an 8- or 9-inch square or round baking pan. For easy removal of the buns, line it with parchment paper, too. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle the surface of the dough lightly with flour; then, using a bench scraper, divide it into 9 equal portions (roughly 102 grams each; see notes above if you wish to make smaller portions). Using flour as needed, ball up each portion.
- Place the balls equally spaced into the prepared pan. At this point, you can cover the pan with plastic wrap or stick it in a large 2-gallon ziptop bag and place it in the fridge overnight; or, if baking immediately, let the buns rise again (covered) until they have puffed considerably and are squishing against each other, about 60 minutes (or more depending on how cold your kitchen is).
- Eggwash and bake: Preheat the oven to 375ºF. If you are doing the refrigerator rise, remove the pan an hour (if possible) before baking. Ideally, the buns should be puffed, filling the pan, and light to the touch but it’s fine if you don’t see much of a change — they will puff in the oven. Brush the rolls with the egg wash. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the rolls are evenly golden brown.
- While the buns bake, make the optional glaze and the not-optional icing:
- The glaze: Juice the clementine or orange you used for zest in step 1. You need roughly 2 tablespoons of juice. Stir in 2 tablespoons of sugar with a spoon until it mostly dissolves.
- The icing: In a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese with the confectioners’ sugar until combined. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and a pinch of sea salt. (Alternatively, if your cream cheese is very soft, you can mix this with a spatula.) Taste, and adjust with more sugar and salt to taste. Transfer to a piping bag or small ziplock bag.
- Remove the buns from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Brush with the orange glaze immediately.
- Frost the buns: Let buns cool for at least 15 minutes before icing: Snip off a corner of the storage bag, if using, and pipe a cross over each bun. Serve immediately.
Notes
If you’ve made these previously and used and liked the confectioners’ sugar frosting, here’s the recipe:
- 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk or buttermilk
- pinch sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Stir confectioners’ sugar, milk, salt, and vanilla to form a glaze.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American