Description
A recipe for making traditional sweet, spiced buns containing candied fruit.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup mixed candied fruit
- 1/4 cup currants or raisins
- 1 egg white, beaten (for brushing)
- For the Cross: 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- For the Cross: 3 tablespoons water
- For the Glaze: 1/4 cup apricot jam
- For the Glaze: 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Warm the milk until lukewarm. Stir in the sugar and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Let stand for 5 minutes until foamy.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt.
- Add the softened butter, egg, and yeast mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Flatten the dough slightly. Sprinkle the candied fruit and currants over the dough. Fold the dough over and knead gently until the fruit is evenly distributed.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough. Divide it into 12 equal pieces and shape each piece into a round bun. Place the buns close together on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Cover the buns loosely and let them rise again for 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).
- To make the cross mixture, combine the 1/2 cup flour and 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl to form a thick paste. Transfer this paste to a piping bag or a small zip-top bag with a corner snipped off.
- Pipe a cross shape onto the top of each bun.
- Brush the tops of the buns lightly with the beaten egg white.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- While the buns are baking, prepare the glaze by heating the apricot jam and 1 tablespoon water in a small saucepan until melted. Strain the mixture if necessary.
- Immediately after removing the buns from the oven, brush the warm glaze over the tops of the hot buns.
- Cool slightly on a wire rack before serving warm.
Notes
- If you prefer a shinier glaze, use a simple sugar glaze made from powdered sugar and a small amount of milk or water instead of apricot jam.
- Ensure the milk is not too hot, or it will kill the yeast.
- You can substitute dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots for the mixed candied fruit.
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bun
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 20
- Sodium: 180
- Fat: 7
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Unsaturated Fat: 3
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 50
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 6
- Cholesterol: 35
Keywords: hot cross buns, candied fruit, sweet buns, spiced bread, Easter bread