Not too long ago, Easter meant getting up early, dressing the girls up in pretty dresses, and having Easter egg hunts early in the morning. I’d run around with a camcorder (then later an iPhone), trying my best to record the event while Jeff and I encouraged our girls and their cousins to find all the eggs. Once all the eggs were gathered, we would have a big pot-luck brunch with family and open up Easter baskets full of candy, small stuffed animals, and books.

Thank goodness I recorded those moments. Kids grow up quickly!

I use my Dutch oven to prep the yeast and do the first rise. When mixing it, the dough should be really sticky.

This year, I was lucky that newly employed Maia’s wasn’t scheduled to work on Sunday. She likes her job, and would happily take a shift, regardless of it being a holiday.

Though Easter traditions are changing for us,there’s always an opportunity to keep some sense of holiday. This year I made hot-cross buns for my family to wake up to Good Friday morning.

Making a treat for Friday morning takes the pressure from doing something on Easter Sunday…a necessity in case someone gets scheduled for work, or if (weather-permitting) we’re lucky enough to get together for some family sledding in nearby Tahoe.

Making breads is usually time-consuming, but it’s worth it for hot cross buns. This particular recipe takes about three hours, mostly inactive. I offset that time commitment by starting the recipe while making dinner Thursday night. When the dough is ready, I shape the buns and refrigerate them, leaving the baking for Friday morning.

My tip: try to let the buns do a cold rise overnight. The buns come out fluffier and puffier. Besides, waking up to the aroma of freshly baked bread is not a bad way to go for Good Friday morning. They’re great with hot coffee or tea.

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Hot Cross Buns

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Course: Bread

Cuisine: English

Prep Time: 3

Cook Time: 18

Total Time: 3 18

Servings:

Author: Four to Cook For

Ingredients

Buns

2 cups milk I used 2%, but whole is preferable.
1/2 canola oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup more
1 package active dry yeast about 2 1/4 tsp
4 cups all-purpose flour plus 1/2 more
1/2 tsp baking powder heaping
1/2 tsp baking soda scant
2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup golden raisins

Egg Wash

1 egg white
1 tbsp milk

Icing

2 cups powdered sugar sifted
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp finely grated lemon zest

Instructions

Combine the milk, canola oil, and 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar in a Dutch oven or other large 4-6 quart saucepan and heat until warm. Don't boil. Set aside and let cool to touch, about 20 minutes.
Add yeast and mix with whisk, then add 4 cups of flour and combine. Mixture will be sticky, but you'll still be able to stir it with a spoon.
First rise: Cover with a towel and set aside for 1 hour, or until doubled.
Add the baking powder and soda, as well as salt and remaining 1/2 cup of flour. Stir with spoon until combined.
Grease a large bowl with cooking spray and move the dough from the saucepan to the bowl and knead a bit more. Flour your hands to help with the sticking. This will help it become more satiny and pilable.
In a separate, small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Lightly flour a work surface and turn out the dough onto it. The dough will be really sticky, so you might need more flour to work with it.
Do the following to mix in the sugar and raisins: press to flatten the dough. Spring a third of the sugar/cinnamon mixture on it, as well as the raisins. Fold the dough over on itself and flatten again. Repeat the process two more times until the sugar/cinnamon and raisins are incorporated.
Line a large baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment paper. (Mine is
Make golf-ball sized buns, and place on baking sheet.
Second rise: cover and allow to rise in warm place for about an hour.
(Recommended tip: Refrigerate after the second rise so that the buns are ready for baking first thing in the morning.)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Make the egg wash. Mix egg white with a splash of milk. Brush onto the buns before placing in the oven.
When the buns have turned golden brown (about 18 minutes) remove from oven and cool on baking racks.
Make the icing. In a small bowl, combine the sifted sugar, milk, lemon zest, and vanilla.
When buns are cool, add icing to a small zip top bag and snip the corner. Make icing crosses on the buns and allow to set.

Notes

You can alternatively use 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted in place of the canola oil. I found that the fluffiest, puffiest buns were the ones that I let rest in the refrigerator overnight (shaped as buns and placed on the baking sheet), however for timing purposes, the recipe is written as if you are going to prepare and bake them in one cooking session.

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below or tag @fourtocookfor and hashtag #fourtocookfor on Instagram.

Recipe adapted from Food Network.

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