I find the aroma of the hot cross buns baking so intoxicating. Brion & I have always loved these soft, spicy little buns. Each year, at Easter time, I really enjoy making some version of Easter bread or buns (of course, trying to make it just a bit better than the year past). While I was giving this some thought, I read a comment where someone was complaining that they had too many hot cross buns leftover from Easter. Is there really such a thing as having too many hot cross buns … seriously!
While hot cross buns are now sold and enjoyed throughout the year, they were once reserved for Good Friday alone. There is no one clear explanation … some theories rest in Christian symbolism while there are also more than a few stories that indicate hot cross buns were baked on Good Friday for superstitious reasons.
Every year I like to try and make a different version of these traditional, seasonal treats. This year I’m going with some dried blueberry lemon hot cross buns. Should be good!
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- 3/4 cup lukewarm water
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 3 cups flour
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg white, reserve yolk
- 140 gm (1 cup) dried blueberries
- 100 gm candied citron peel
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tsp water
- 1/2 tsp vanilla, optional
Ingredients
Buns
Egg Wash
Glaze
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- In a small dish, dissolve 1 Tbsp sugar in lukewarm water. Sprinkle yeast over the surface. Do not stir. Let stand for 15 minutes.
- In a large bowl, mix together 1/2 cup sugar & lemon zest with fingers. Add flour, salt & cinnamon & mix well. Add prepared yeast along with melted butter, egg & egg white. Combine with a fork then add blueberries & citron.
- On a lightly floured surface, knead dough for about 10 minutes. If dough is quite sticky add a LITTLE more flour.
- Cover & allow to sit in a draft-free, warm place for 30-40 minutes.
- Line pan with parchment paper or butter a 7x11-inch baking dish. Divide the dough into 12 equal parts & form into balls. Place them in the prepared pan & let rise for about an hour or until doubled in size.
- Whisk together egg wash & lightly brush over buns before baking.
- Before buns are finished rising, preheat oven to 350 F. Bake buns for about 30-35 minutes.
- Remove from pan & let rest on a wire rack for about 15-20 minutes before piping on the glaze crosses.
- Mix together powdered sugar, milk & vanilla (if using) until smooth. You will want this to be quite a stiff glaze so only add enough milk to bring it to a thick consistency. Pipe crosses onto the tops of the slightly warm buns. A Ziploc bag with a corner snipped off works well for this small job.
