Breads, Breakfast

Traditional Hot Cross Buns

  • 5 teaspoons Active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup Sugar, granulated
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Allspice
  • 5 1/2 cups Flour, all-purpose, unbleached
  • 6 tablespoons Butter
  • ~ Milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Orange peel grated
  • 4 Eggs
  • 1 cup Raisins
  • 3/4 cup Confectioner's sugar

    • About 4 1/2 hours before serving or early in the day: In bowl, conbine yeats, sugar, cinnamon, salt, allspice, and 2 cups of flour. In saucepan over low heat, heat butter and milk until very warm. With mixer at low speed, beat liquid into dry ingredients just until blended. Increase speed to medium; beat 2 minutes. Beat in orange peel, 3 eggs and 1 1/2 cupsflour; beat 2 minutes. Stir in raisins,2 cups flour.

    Turn dough onto floured surface. Knead dough until smooth, e;astic, about 10 minutes, working in 1/2 cup more flour. Shape dough into a ball; place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm place away from draft until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch down dough; turn onto floured surface. Divide into 24 pieces; cover;let rest 15 minutes. Grease 13" x 9" pan.

    Shape dough into balls; place in baking pan. Cover and let rise until balls double in size, about 45 minutes. Preheatoven to 375 degrees. Beat remaining egg. Cut a cross in each bun; brush with egg. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until golden. Cool in pan on rack. In bowl, mix confectioners' sugar with 1 tablespoon milk. Spoon icing into decorating bag fitted with writing tube. Pipe cross on each bun.

    Makes 24 buns.

    This recipe courtesy of the From My Kitchen Cookbook. 

    Contributed by Faith Perrin of Idaho Falls, Idaho. 

    Visit http://www.frommykitchen.net and get your copy of From My Kitchen: Internet-ready recipe software.  Your kitchen will never be the same!