Best Easter Hot Cross Buns Recipes

EASTER HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• Stir 1/4 cup milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar together in a small bowl; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk 3 cups flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, salt, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg together in a large bowl. Stir yeast mixture, 1/2 cup milk, softened butter, and eggs into flour mixture with a wooden spoon until well incorporated; stir in raisins and marmalade. Dough will be sticky.
• Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup flour onto work surface; turn dough onto surface and knead, incorporating additional flour as needed, until tacky but not sticking to fingers, about 10 minutes. Form dough into a ball.
• Place dough in a large, lightly-oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with a clean towel and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
• Deflate dough; divide into 16 equal pieces and form into round buns. Place buns 1 1/2 inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheets; cover with a light cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Whisk egg white and 1 tablespoon milk together in a small bowl. Use a sharp knife to score a deep cross on top of each bun; brush buns with egg wash.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Remove to cool completely on a wire rack, about 15 minutes.
• Place confectioners' sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons milk in a plastic sandwich bag; knead the bag until combined. Snip off one corner of the bag; pipe a cross into the scored lines on each bun.

BREAD MACHINE HOT CROSS BUNS FOR EASTER OR OSTARA

Steps:

• 1. Use a bread machine that makes a 1-1/2 lb. loaf or larger. Follow instructions for placing all dough ingredients, except the last five, into the bread machine. Select the dough cycle and follow instructions for starting.
• 2. When dough cycle is finished, remove from machine and place on a lightly floured surface. Flatten slightly and sprinkle with apricots and raisins. Knead lightly to distribute fruit evenly.
• 3. Pinch off pieces of dough and roll between your hands to form 16 roughly equal sized balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm (80 F.) place until doubled in size, about 45 to 60 minutes.
• 4. Preheat oven to 350 F. Make a shallow cross on the top of each bun with a sharp knife. With a fork, mix egg and water well and brush lightly onto the rolls. Bake for 16-18 minutes until light golden brown. Cool on a rack for about 20 minutes.
• 5. In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar and enough milk for frosting consistency. Blend until smooth.
• 6. Place frosting in a small zip lock plastic bag. Cut a small section of one bottom corner of the bag and squeeze onto rolls to form a cross on each bun.

EASTER HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in milk. Stir in butter, egg, sugar and salt. Combine 3/4 cup flour, raisins, currants, cinnamon and allspice; add to the yeast mixture and mix well. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 4-6 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down; shape into six 2-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Using a sharp knife, cut a cross on top of each bun. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes., Beat egg yolk and water; brush over buns. Bake at 375° for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Combine icing ingredients; pipe over buns.

EASTER HOT CROSS BUNS, FOR GOOD FRIDAY

Steps:

• 1. In a small bowl, combine 1 Tablespoon of beaten egg and 2 teaspoons of water, cover and refrigerate. Use a bread machine that makes a 1-1/2 lb loaf or larger.. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup, level off. Measure remaining ingredients carefully. Follow bread machine directions for placing all dough ingredients ,except reserved egg mixture and apricots in the bread machine. Select dough cycle..Do not use the delay circle. Follow machine directions for starting machine.
• 2. Spray large cookie sheet and work surface with non-stick cooking spray. Remove dough from machine, place on sprayed surface. Flatten dough slightly, sprinkle with apricots. Knead lightly to to distribute apricots. Divide dough into 16 pieces. With sprayed hands, roll each piece to form a ball. Place 2 inches apart on sprayed cookie sheet. Cover, and let rise in a warm place (80 to 85 F.) until double in size.,...45-60 minutes. )
• 3. Heat oven to 350F. Uncover dough, and make a cross on the top of each bun with a knife. Not to deep. Mix reserved egg and water, brush rolls lightly with the egg mixture. Bake at 350 for 16-18 minutes until light golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet, cool on a rack for 20 minutes. In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and enough juice for frosting consistency, stir until smooth. Place frosting in a amall reseable plastic bag. Cut small opening in bottom corner of the bag. Squeeze frosting onto rolls to form a cross on each bun.
• 4. Eggs in picture # 3 are alabaster eggs, I purchased in Coblenz, Germany in 1971, when I went there to meet my new grandson Mark. Who born in a Air Force Military Hospital. I have had them for 40 years now. Every year I display them at Easter time. 3/30/12!

EASTER BUTTERMILK HOT CROSS BUNS

Steps:

• Measure the water into a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Let stand about 5 minutes to dissolve the yeast. Stir in the buttermilk, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and margarine. Mix in 1 cup of flour until well blended, then stir in the raisins. Gradually mix in the remaining flour until the dough is stiff enough to take out of the bowl and knead on a floured surface. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning to coat and cover with a towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide into 18 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and place in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover loosely with a towel and allow to rise again until your finger leaves an impression when you poke the dough gently, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Remove the towel from the buns. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Spoon the frosting into a small sandwich bag or pastry bag. Snip off the corner and squeeze out frosting to make a cross on top of the buns when cool.