Happy Easter!
I have a wonderful bread book by Beth Hensperger called The Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook. Too bad my bread machine has broken already, but that doesn’t mean I could make these recipes using my old, trusty KitchenAid mixer. Most of her recipes were very tasty and she explained everything thoroughly. A book indespensable to a baker!
This Easter I thought I’d baked Hot Cross Buns. Traditionally these Celtic breads, decorated with cross icing on top, were used to ward off evil spirits that might visit the baker. Later, the cross symbol became a Christian symbol. Hot cross buns made appearance in bakeries all over the town during Easter.
Everybody would surely love a bun or two in Easter morning…
Hot Cross Buns
For the dough:
3/4 cup fat-free milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup white whole wheat flour or additional 1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground mace
2 1/2 teaspoons SAF yeast or 1 tablespoon bread machine yeast
2/3 cup dried currants
1/3 cup finely chooped dried apricots, dried plums or candied citron
For the icing:
3/4 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, almond extract, lemon oil, or Fiori di Sicilia
1 1/4 tablespoons fat-free milk
To make the dough, place the dough ingredients, except the dried fruits, in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions. Program for the Dough cycle; press Start. The dough ball will be soft. If you want to use a stand mixer, place ingredients in the mixer bowl. Starts with slow speed first, then change to medium speed for about 10 minutes, or until the dough feels elastic and smooth. Let it double in bulk, in a warm place, for about 1 hour.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. When the machine beeps at the end of the cycle, press Stop and unplug the machine. Immediately turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat the dough into a large freeform rectangle and sprinkle with the dried fruit. Press in. Fold the dough into thirds and knead a few times to distribute the fruit evenly. Divide the dough in half. Roll each portion inot a 10-inch-long log and, with a bench knife, cut into 6 equal portions. Frm each portion into a round bun and place the buns 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Let rise, uncovered, at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 40 minutes.
Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
With a sharp knife, gently cut a cross, no deeper than 1/2 inch, over the surface of each bun. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until browned.
While the buns are baking, prepare the icing. Whisk the icing ingredients together in a small bowl. Beat hard until the icing is smooht and a bit firm for piping. Remove the rolls from the oven and place the baking sheet on a rack. Place the icing in a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip, and pipe a cross over the top of each hot bun into the indentation where you cut the cross before baking. Let stand for at least 20 minutes to set before devouring.
