Hot Cross bun day

Sunday is hot cross buns day! Here's a lovely recipe - super easy and perfect results yielding a fluffy delicious bun.

Hot Cross Buns (recipe from Tablespoon)

2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast

3 to 3 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

4 tbsp butter, softened

¾ cup warm milk (100º)

¼ cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

4 tsp all-spice

1 tsp salt

1 cup raisins (or half cup raisins and half a cup dried black currants)

1 tbsp lemon zest

Egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 tsp water)

Glaze (1 tsp milk and 3-4 tbsp powdered sugar)

Directions:

Heat milk to 100º F and dissolve yeast in milk for 10 minutes, until mixture is foamy.

Meanwhile, mix 3 cups of flour, sugar, spices, zest and salt in a stand mixer.

Add yeast mixture and mix until combine. Add eggs one at a time until combined. Add softened butter.


Mix with dough hook attachment until dough is smooth and elastic. Add remaining flour if dough is too sticky. Kneed dough by hand and mix in dried fruit).

Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

Punch down risen dough and divide into 12 equal pieces, rolling each piece into a ball.

Place dough pieces on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet about 1-inch apart. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise another two hours.

Preheat oven to 375º.

Remove plastic wrap from buns and score the tops of each bun with a cross shape, about ¼-inch deep. Brush the tops with egg wash and bake for 15 minutes or until deep golden brown.

Allow to cool completely before drizzling a cross shape with glaze on the tops of each bun.

---

For more fun foodie holidays check out this awesome site that I've been following for over a year now! Foodimentary

Pizza buns

Pizza buns

Dough:

2 tsp instant yeast 1 tsp sugar

Add those to a bowl with 1/4 cup water and let them proof (get puffy)

Add 4 cups flour (bread or all purpose) 3 tbsp olive oil 2 tsp salt

Water (enough to form a dough) usually about 1/2 cup and if you need more then add gradually and blend.

Let the dough proof overnight. Cover the bowl with plastic and leave in a warm place in your kitchen.

Ready to roll:

The next day roll out the dough into a big square and top with pizza sauce (tomato sauce) and your grated mozarella cheese.

(if you extra toppings like mushrooms then slice and pan fry them on high heat until the look cooked) Also the same for the peppers cut in small squares and fry them up just a bit until they are a little tender but still crips.

Top the veggies on top of the cheese (they should be cooked and prepped before hand) Sprinkle oregano (dried or fresh) all over.

Roll up the dough like a cinnamon roll. Slice with a knife and put the rolls onto a piece of parchment on a pan (not too close) Put them on the pan you're going to bake them on as you can't remove them later.

Cover with cling wrap and let them proof for another hour to 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 and let them bake until the dough is done and cheese is melted.


Think of the variations you could do, a cheddar and spinach bun, roasted red pepper and feta cheese buns, caramelized onion buns...... olive bun, the possibilities are endless.

This is perfect picnic and trip food, like if you're taking kids out for a long day at the zoo or something, it's easy to carry, yummy and keeps well.