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Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns are an Easter holiday standard. There are many varieties--they can be dense and cakey, some are dry and crumbly, and some, like the recipe that follows, are pillowy and soft. One thing they all have in common? A studding of dried fruit and a subtly sweet-spiced dough. There isn’t too much prep here, but like any yeasted dough, there is quite a bit of inactive time. So leave plenty of time for this one, and spread the work out over an afternoon to make your life easy. You’ll end up with a delicious and traditional spring-time treat.

Prep Time — 4 hours
Cook Time — 15 min
Servings — 8
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Ingredients

½ cup whole milk

2 cinnamon sticks

4 green cardamom pods

1 star anise

2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast

1 tablespoon honey

2⅓ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon orange zest

¼ cup sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large egg

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

nonstick cooking spray

¼ cup dried currants

¼ cup golden raisins

1 large egg, lightly beaten

½ cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1½ teaspoons water

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Sign up for full access to June's entire recipe library. Your first three months are complimentary, and you can cancel at any time. After your trial, a monthly subscription is $4.99 or an annual subscription is $49. Download the app and start cooking today!

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Infuse the milk

In a small pot set over medium-high heat, combine the milk, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods and star anise. Bring the milk to a boil, then cover the pot and remove it from the heat. Let the milk steep 30 minutes.

½ cup whole milk

2 cinnamon sticks

4 green cardamom pods

1 star anise

pot

liquid measuring cup

Strain the milk

Set a fine-mesh strainer over the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl. Strain the infused milk into the bowl and whisk in the yeast and honey. Discard the spices. Allow the yeast to dissolve and begin to bubble, about 5 minutes.

2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast

1 tablespoon honey

strainer

stand mixer

whisk

measuring spoons

Whisk the dry ingredients

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, lemon zest and orange zest. Whisk to combine.

2⅓ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon orange zest

large bowl

measuring cups

Add the wet and dry ingredients

To the bowl with the yeast mixture, add the sugar, butter, egg, egg yolk, salt and vanilla. Add the dry ingredient mixture.

¼ cup sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large egg

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix the dough

Using the dough hook, mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and mix the dough 2 more minutes, until it appears smooth and supple. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently into a smooth ball, adding more flour if dough feels too sticky, about 1 minute. The dough should be very soft and tacky.

spatula

all-purpose flour

Prepare the dough to proof

Coat the same or another large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place the dough in the bowl and loosely cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel.

nonstick cooking spray

plastic wrap

Proof the dough

Transfer the bowl to the bottom shelf of the June Oven. Proof the dough at 80°F for 1 hour 30 min, until about doubled in size. June will notify you when the dough is finished. If the dough has not doubled, follow on-screen instructions to continue proofing.

Punch down the dough and add the fruit

When the dough has risen, punch it down a few times to release the air. Add the fruit to the bowl. Using your hands, stretch and fold the dough to fully incorporate the fruit. Knead in the bowl or a lightly floured surface until the fruit is evenly distributed, using as little flour as possible.

¼ cup dried currants

¼ cup golden raisins

all-purpose flour

Shape the dough

Evenly divide the dough into 8 balls. Roll one piece of dough into a tight ball and place it on your June Pan. Repeat with the rest of the dough, evenly spacing the buns on the June Pan. Cover the June Pan with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel.

June Pan

Proof the buns

Transfer the buns to the middle shelf of the June Oven. Proof the buns at 85°F for 45 minutes, until the buns are puffy and touching or nearly touching. If necessary, follow on-screen instructions to continue proofing.

Remove the dough from the June Oven

Remove the risen dough from the June Oven and set aside while you preheat. Remove and discard the plastic wrap.

Preheat the June Oven

With the shelf in the middle position, preheat the June Oven to 375°F on the Bake cook mode.

June Oven

Egg wash the buns

Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the risen buns with the lightly beaten egg.

pastry brush

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Bake the buns

Place the buns on the middle shelf of the June Oven. Bake 15 minutes, until the buns are firm, puffed and golden brown. June will notify you when the buns are ready.

Make the icing

While the buns are baking, make the icing. In a medium bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, vanilla and water or milk with a spoon or a spatula until a thick paste forms. Scrape the icing into a piping bag or a small resealable bag. Set aside until ready to use.

½ cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1½ teaspoons water

small bowl

resealable plastic bag

Cool and cross the buns

Remove the buns from the June Oven. Allow to cool in the June Pan 15 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely. When the buns are completely cooled, snip the corner off of the bag and pipe a thick cross of icing on each bun.

cooling rack

kitchen shears

Serve the buns

Serve or store the buns at room temperature.

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