Best Bread Machine Hot Cross Buns For Easter Or Ostara Recipes

HOT CROSS BUNS RECIPE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup raisins/craisins with 1 cup boiling hot water. Let sit 10 min then drain well and set aside.
• In a large measuring cup, combine 1/4 cup warm milk with 1/2 tsp sugar and sprinkle 3/4 Tbsp yeast over the top. Stir and let sit at room temp until bubbly and doubled in volume (10 min).
• In a large mixing bowl (I use my KitchenAid mixer), combine 1/2 cup very warm milk with 1/2 cup sugar, 4 Tbsp softened butter and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir until butter is melted. Add 2 well beaten eggs and proofed yeast mixture. Stir in 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon and pinch of ground nutmeg.
• Using the dough hook attachment mix in 3 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup at a time until soft dough forms. Knead 8-12 min on speed 2 or until smooth and elastic. Dough will still stick a little to the bowl but not to your fingers.
• Add drained raisins/craisins (pat them dry with paper towels if they still seem too wet) and transfer dough to a large buttered bowl, turning it to bring the buttered side-up. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free room 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in volume (you can also proof in a warm 100˚F oven).
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cut in half then continue cutting dough until you have 12 equal sized pieces. Roll dough into balls and transfer to a buttered 9x13" baking pan. Cover with a tea towel and let them sit in a warm, draft-free room 30 min until puffed.
• Now you should preheat your oven to 375˚F. Generously brush the tops with egg wash and bake for 15-17 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan.
• Once buns are just warm (not hot), stir together the 1/2 cup powdered sugar and about 2 1/2 tsp milk. You can add more powdered sugar to thicken it up if needed. Transfer glaze to a ziploc bag, cut off the tip of the bag and pipe a cross shape over each of the buns. Serve warm or at room temperature.

HOT CROSS BUNS - BREAD MACHINE

Steps:

• Put all ingredients except fruit into bread machine.
• Set for dough.
• Add fruit at signal.
• Lightly oil 9x13 pan.
• When dough is ready, remove and punch down.
• Cut into 18-24 pieces.
• Roll each into a ball.
• Place balls 1/2" apart in pan.
• Cover and rise in warm place until doubled (about 1 hour).
• Cut cross into top with sharp knife.
• Bake 12-15 minutes @ 375.
• Make glaze adding sugar or milk to make consistency to drizzle but not run.
• Let rolls cool slightly and drizzle icing in cuts.

TRADITIONAL HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water.
• Add milk, sugar, butter, vanilla, salt, nutmeg and 3 cups of flour; beat until smooth.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
• Stir in the currants, raisins and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
• Turn onto a floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes.
• Place in a greased bowl; turn once to grease top.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch dough down; shape into 30 balls.
• Place on greased baking sheets.
• Cut a cross on top of each roll with a sharp knife.
• Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
• Beat water and egg yolk; brush over rolls.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
• Cool on wire racks.
• For icing, combine sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth; drizzle over rolls.

BREAD MACHINE HOT CROSS SPICE BUNS

Steps:

• NOTE: Consult your bread machine to determine whether or not the wet or dry ingredients need to go in first; I have listed the ingredients assuming wet first, ending with yeast; simply go in reverse, starting with yeast and work backwards to lukewarm water if your manual says to add dry first.
• Place lukewarm water, milk powder, butter pieces, both egg whites and just 1 of the eggs yolks, vanilla, almond flavoring, salt, sugar, spices, zests, and fruit in order in your machine.
• Add 3 level cups of flour the the center of your pan and then make a small well in the flour; Add yeast to that well.
• Select dough cycle on your machine.
• After 5 minutes, take a peek in your machine at the dough, adding more water or flour if needed, adding 1 Tbsp of either at a time (or more) (this will vary depending on the humidity of the day).
• When dough cycle has completed, remove dough from machine and punch down on a floured surface; dough will be a bit sticky at this point.
• Cover with a damp towel and allow to rest 10 minutes.
• Have ready a greased 9x13" pan.
• Roll dough into 12 large balls and place in the pan; cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (it is ok if dough balls touch as they rise); this may take 45 min- 1 hour.
• One dough has risen,remove cover,and mix your remaining egg yolk with 2 Tbsp water and brush over the dough balls.
• Bake in a preheated 375 F oven (190 C) for 20 minutes.
• Remove from pan immediately and let cool on wire racks.
• When fully cooled, pipe white icing of your choice in the shape of crosses atop each bun.
• Or, if you prefer warm buns, leave off the icing and either serve right away or gently reheat buns on the regular oven or toaster oven, then ice individual buns at the table (the icing will melt however).

BREAD MACHINE HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• Break 2 eggs into 2-cup measuring cup. Add enough water to measure 1 1/3 cups. Measure carefully, placing egg mixture and remaining bun ingredients except raisins, 1 egg and cold water in bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Add raisins at the Raisin/Nut signal or 5 to 10 minutes before last kneading cycle ends.
• Select Dough/Manual cycle. Do not use delay cycle. (Total time will vary with appliance and setting.)
• Remove dough from pan, using lightly floured hands. Cover and let rest 10 minutes on lightly floured surface.
• Grease cookie sheet or two 9-inch round cake pans. Divide dough in half. Divide each half into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet or 1 inch apart in pans. Snip a cross shape in top of each ball, using scissors. Cover and let rise in warm place about 40 minutes or until double. (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.)
• Heat oven to 375°F. Beat egg and cold water slightly; brush over tops of buns. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet or pans to cooling rack. Cool slightly.
• In medium bowl, mix all icing ingredients until well blended. Stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Make a cross on top of each bun with icing. Serve warm.

TRADITIONAL FRUITY AND SPICED HOT CROSS BUNS: BREAD-MAKER

Steps:

• Put all of the Hot Cross Bun ingredients into your break maker in the order listed, excepting the dried fruit.
• Put the fruit into the "extras" tray on your bread maker, or leave to one side to add towards the end of the kneading cycle.
• Set the bread maker to Dough setting - or Raisin Dough setting if you have it.
• Press start and if you do not have an "extras" tray, add your dried fruit when your machine alerts you or 5 minutes before the end of the kneading time.
• Lightly grease two baking trays/sheets.
• When the dough cycle has finished, take the dough out and place it on a lightly floured board. Knock back and shape into 12 pieces, rolling them into balls.
• Place them on the greased baking trays/sheets and cover with a clean tea towel or lightly oiled cling film.
• Allow them to rise for about 30-45 minutes or until doubled in size.
• Meanwhile pre-heat the oven the 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Make the pastry crosses by rolling out the ready-made pastry very thinly and cutting into strips.
• Make the glaze by heating up the milk and adding the sugar - heat them until the sugar has dissolved. Set to one side.
• When the Hot Cross Buns are ready to bake, place two strips of pastry on each top - pressing lightly and bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until well-risen and golden brown. The buns should sound hollow when tapped underneath.
• Brush the glaze on each bun as soon as they have been taken out of the oven and then allow to cool slightly on a wire rack.
• Eat whilst still warm, split & spread with butter!
• These are GREAT toasted when they are a few days old as well!

ALISON HOLST'S HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• Measure the yeast mixture, flour, brown sugar and salt into a large bowl. Stir to mix and then add the cold milk followed by the boiling water. Stir thoroughly to mix.
• Leave to stand for 3 minutes. Melt the butter and assemble the rest of the ingredients.
• Once the 3 minutes is up, stir in the rest of the ingredients except for the flour.
• Now add as much flour as need to make a dough just firm enough to turn out on a board and knead. [The original recipe suggests 3 cups. I needed 4.].
• Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes until smooth and satiny and it springs back when you press it with a finger.
• Oil a large bowl and turn the dough ball in this until it is all coated. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and leave to stand until it doubles it original bulk.
• Turn out on a floured board, knead lightly and cut into 30 evenly sized pieces.
• Form each piece into a ball and arrange the buns in rows in a dish or pan with at least 1 cm between them. A roasting dish works well and takes about 15 buns.
• Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F and when ready turn the heat down to 200°C/400°F.
• Put crosses on the buns.Make a paste of the flour and oil and then add enough water to make a dough that can be forced out of an icing bag. Pipe the crosses on the buns.
• Put the buns in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes until they brown slightly and feel firm. Remove from oven and glaze with a hot syrup made by heating sugar and water.
• Cool buns on a rack. Store in airtight containers when cold.
• If you want to make a smaller quantity, halve the ingredients except for the egg. You may need more flour.

TRADITIONAL HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. In a large bowl, combine eggs, butter, sugar, salt, spices, yeast mixture and 3 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in currants, raisins and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky)., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until dough is smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide and shape into 30 balls. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover with kitchen towels; let rise in a warm place until doubled, 30-45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°., Using a sharp knife, cut a cross on top of each bun. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk and water; brush over tops. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool slightly., For icing, in a small bowl, mix confectioners' sugar and enough milk to reach desired consistency. Pipe a cross on top of each bun. Serve warm.