CELEBRATING GOOD FRIDAY!
Here’s a savory twist on the classic Easter hot cross bun you might enjoy!
One of the food items I love most about the Easter season is . . . Hot Cross Buns! Although they are generally available all year round now it seems, Brion & I prefer to reserve them for an Easter treat. I think when something becomes an everyday thing it loses its ‘specialness’.
The tradition of marking buns with a cross on the top goes a long way back in time. Pagon Saxons baked cross buns at this time of year to mark the beginning of spring, in honor of their god Eostre. The cross was representative of the four seasons along with the four quarters of the moon, the wheel of life and a rebirth of the earth after the long winter. Christians adapted the cross when an Anglican monk baked the buns and marked them with a cross in honor of Good Friday. The buns were usually served on Good Friday, marking the end of Lent and the spices are said to represent the spices used to embalm the Savior after his crucifixion.
Every year at this time, I enjoy making some version of hot cross buns or bread. Generally, I stick to the sweet kinds but this year I thought I’d take it to the savory side. These avocado, bacon & egg hot cross buns are just the thing to kick off an excellent Easter brunch.
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- 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 cup lukewarm milk
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried herbs
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 8 small cubes of cheese such as cheddar, mozzarella or Swiss
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 1/2 Tbsp water or enough to make a paste consistency
- Melted butter for brushing
Ingredients
Savory Hot Cross Buns
Flour Paste
Other Ingredients to Assemble Brunch Buns
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- In a small bowl, combine warm milk, sugar & yeast. Let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, garlic powder & dried herbs. Mix well.
- Add the yeast mixture, melted butter & beaten egg to the dry ingredients. Mix until a dough forms. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel & let it rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough & divide it into 8 equal portions. Flatten each portion & place a cube of cheese in the center. Fold the dough over the cheese & shape into a ball. Place the buns on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a kitchen towel & let them rise for another 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- In a small bowl, mix flour & water to make a paste. Transfer the paste to a piping bag or a plastic bag with a small corner cut off. Pipe a cross shape on top of each bun with the flour paste.
- Bake the buns for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven & brush buns with melted butter. Allow the buns to cool for a few minutes before serving.
- Grate cheese & slice tomato or ready tomato sauce.
- On a griddle, fry bacon until it is beginning to crisp. Blot bacon on paper towels then set aside to keep warm.
- Slice buns in half & LIGHTLY butter cut sides. Wipe excess bacon drippings off griddle then place buns on it to toast lightly. Remove to serving platter & keep warm. Place 8 eggs on the griddle & cook just until whites are set.
- Top each toasted bun base with an egg, bacon, cheese, sauce (or tomato slice) & avocado slices. Season with salt & pepper. Sandwich with bun tops & serve.
• Alternately, if there is no time for making the savory hot cross buns from scratch, purchased ones will work just as well.