HOT CROSS BUNS
“Hot Cross Buns. Hot Cross Buns.” If you’ve ever heard this song, you know how catchy it is. The song can get stuck in your head for days. After hearing this song, I realized I don’t ever recall having tried Hot Cross Buns. A staple for many on Good Friday, I thought it would be a great idea to put a plant-based twist on this delectable treat.
Hot Cross Buns are spiced sweet bread rolls with dried fruit and topped with a white cross. Traditionally, the buns are made with currants or raisins. The white cross is made with a flour, sugar, and water mixture. They traditionally mark the end of Lent and are enjoyed on Good Friday in preparation for Easter. But, you don’t have to celebrate Lent or Easter to enjoy these sweet treats.
This recipe makes 10 rolls (and a mini). This is quite enough to share and will definitely be a crowd-pleaser. Hot Cross Buns take some time to rise, so I would recommend starting the dough the evening before you plan to make the rolls. After the dough rises, it is as simple as rolling the dough and baking for 25 minutes. The spices in the buns will fill your kitchen with the most amazing smell. It’s a win-win.
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A FEW TIPS FOR THIS RECIPE.
I swapped the raisins for dried cherries for this version and went with a classic royal icing for the cross. The results were awesome, but there are a few tips I would recommend if you plan to make them at home:
Spice It Up: Hot Cross Buns are made with warming spices. I added enough that my rolls were a light brown color. Feel free to adjust the level of spices to your liking. When I make these again, I will add a little cardamom to the mix.
No Egg Wash: To get the nice brown color on top of each roll, we need egg wash. In my version, I mixed almond milk and maple syrup for a completely dairy-free version. You can also use melted plant-based butter, vegetable oil, or even water to achieve a similar brown roll.
Making a Cross: Not everyone has a piping bag. If you are like me, the Ziploc substitute never works out the way you want it to. In this case, I would recommend using a spatula. I dipped the tip of the spatula in the royal icing and used it to lightly stamp lines on the top of the bun, making a cross.
Helpful tools.
Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients
- 1 package of dry active yeast
- ¼ C. luke warm milk
- 1 Tsp white sugar
- 6 Tsp vegan butter
- ½ C. brown sugar
- ½Tsp salt
- 1/3 C. dried cherries
- 1 Tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ Tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ Tsp ground all spice
- Dash of ground clove
- 1 C. water – boiling
- 3 C. unbleached all-purpose flour
- vegetable oil for the buns
- ½ C. melted vegan butter
- 3 Tbsp almond milk
- ½ Tsp maple syrup
- 1/3 C. powder sugar
- ½ Tbsp almond milk
- Dash of vanilla flavoring
- ¼ tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Add yeast, lukewarm milk, and white sugar. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add vegan butter, brown sugar, salt, cherries, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. Then pour boiling water over it. Let cool until lukewarm.
- Mix in yeast mixture.
- Mix in 2 cups of flour. Stir as little as possible.
- Fold in additional flour a 1/4 cup at a time, up to 1 cup. You might not need the full cup.
- Mix until a ball forms. Rub the top of the ball with vegetable oil.
- Cover bowl with a towel, set in a warm place for one hour until dough rises to about double its size.
- Punch down the dough, cover, and chill for a minimum of 4 hours up to overnight.
- Once the dough is done chilling.
- Punch down dough again. Roll dough into balls and place in a 9x13 baking pan. The rolls should be close but not touching.
- Cover and let rise for another hour in the pan in a warm place.
- Make the egg wash by whisking the almond milk and maple syrup together. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 375. Once the rolls rise again, bake at 375 for 25 minutes.
- Once rolls are ready and slightly cooled, it’s time to add the icing cross. Mix the icing ingredient into a bowl until smooth. Add to a piping bag or Ziploc bag. Twist the top of the bag to hold it secure. Snip the bottom corner off of the bag—pipe a cross on each bun.
