Easter is possibly the most important holiday in the Christan calendar. And one thing that is so crucial to those who celebrate is to keep things very traditional during this time. So what better way to help celebrate than to have a scrumptious, traditional dessert for you and your family to enjoy. Take a look at this great, homemade hot cross bun recipe that will be oh-so-perfect for this Easter… you’ll have everyone drooling for more.
How To Make The Perfect Hot Cross Buns This Easter
Ingredients
- 1 cup of warm water
- 1/4 ounce of active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 1 cup of warm milk
- 6 cups of all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs (1 of the egg whites will be used for the egg wash)
- 1/2 cup of raisins
- 1/4 cup of butter (softened)
- 1 cup of sifted confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon of grated lemon zest
- 1 1/2 tablespoons
Method
Once you have collected all the ingredients together, make sure to have quite a large mixing bowl. Next, pour the warm water into the bowl along with 1 tablespoon of sugar as well as the yeast. Thoroughly stirs the mixture until it is completely dissolved. Then allow to stand for approximately 10 minutes until it becomes foamy. Following this, add the sugar, warm milk, nutmeg, and softened butter. If you choose to use an electric mixer you can then beat the mixture at a medium speed while adding in 3 cups of flour. You should continue to do so for roughly 5 minutes until it becomes smooth and somewhat elastic.
Next, beat the eggs into the mixture one at a time. Be sure to do this slowly and carefully. It is also important to make sure that the batter is consistently smooth after each addition of the egg. Once you have completed that, it is now time to beat in the vanilla extract as well as the raisins. Here is also when you should add 1 cup of flour too. Be certain that it has all been mixed well!
After several minutes of mixing the ingredients together, you can now add the remaining flour. However, it is recommended to only do 1/2 a cup at a time. The dough should be soft and tender. Following this step, place the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Here you should knead the dough for about 5 minutes until it is completely smooth. Then, place the dough into a large greased bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm place until it has doubled in volume. This should take roughly an hour to two hours.
In the meantime, pre-heat the oven to 375° F (190° C), and have a greased baking sheet or pan ready. Then, punch down the dough and allow to stand for another 10 minutes. Now, divide the dough into 24 equal parts. Roll each portion into a smooth ball and place them on the baking tray – they should be well spread out. Before placing them into the oven, allow them to rise for a further 20- 30 minutes. Then lightly brush the rolls with an egg wash. Bake until golden brown (roughly 25 minutes). Then carefully move them over to a wire rack and let them cool.
Now it’s time to make the icing. First, in a small bowl mix the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of warm milk together. They should be well blended. You can either simply take a spoon and drizzle the icing across the top of each roll or you can pipe the icing if you’re wanting to feel more professional. Now, let the buns sit for 20 minutes before serving this delicious treat.
