I learned to sing the Hot Cross Buns nursery rhyme long before I ate one. My ideal version of hot cross buns must have a sticky glossy glaze, a pastry paste cross, and plenty of currants and spice! Unfortunately, most versions available at stores are made with raisins and yucky sugary citrus peels. After one too many disappointments, I don’t even bother to buy hot cross buns anymore even though they are my favourite Easter treat. Yes, I would pick bread over chocolate!
Last week I saw Simply Recipes posted a hot cross buns recipe and I could not stop thinking about them since. If I bake my own, I can make sure they are exactly the way I like them! The recipe looks delicious in every way except for the cross made with icing. Baking a batch of hot cross buns is not trivial so I ought to at least look for one promising everything I love about the treat. A little more research later and I landed on Wild Yeast’s recipe adapted from Jeffrey Hamelman’s Bread: A Baker’s Book of Techniques and Recipes. Added bonus: all the measurements are in weight! I love the precision and convenience of measuring by weight instead of volume when it comes to baking.
The dough is enriched with whole milk, egg, and butter. I love that it uses half whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour for a nice tan crumb. Starting the dough with fermented sponge gave it a little boost in flavour. The buns are loaded with currants, candied orange peels, and candied lemon peels. The mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice gives the bread a lovely aroma and sweetness. As for the cross? I’ve always wondered how it’s made. Turns out, it is a paste of pastry flour, vegetable oil, and water that gets piped on the buns just before baking. Last but not least, a glossy simple syrup glaze to give the buns their shiny appearance.
I made individual buns as well as a pull-apart version. The individual buns are perfectly round and have the advantage of uniform crust all around. For those who prefer a more tender version, the pull-apart is perfect. There isn’t as much crust and it’s pretty enough to be a centre piece in any Easter brunch. Other changes I made to the recipe are also very minor. I plumped the currants in hot water before working them into the dough. To incorporate the currants and candied peels, I flattened the dough, spread a handful of dried fruit, folded the dough in half, and repeat again until all the fruit were in the dough. For ease of planning, I stored the dough in the fridge overnight after the first ferment and let it return to room temperature before shaping and proofing. I only made half batch of the pastry paste and still had leftover. I cooked the simple syrup a little longer to obtain a thicker consistency.
These hot cross buns are exactly the kind I grew up eating and loving. How satisfying is it to cook and bake treats exactly the way I like them!
