A hot cross bun is a spiced sweet bun made with currants or raisins and marked with a cross on the top, traditionally eaten on Good Friday in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Canada, but now popular all year round.
I made mine just like I make Mama’s Pull Apart Dinner Rolls, by using a 2 inch scoop and placing dough in rows, using a square baking pan, versus a round baking pan. You can also make these as individuals, using the Wilton 4 inch cake pans, a muffin tin, or just use a scoop and drop dough 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Be sure to use lightly floured hands or warm water too smooth out rough edges. I will make more this evening and post pictures of all the different styles you can make. My daughter and I are allergic to cinnamon so we used Cardamom in place of the traditional cinnamon and in my opinion it tastes even better!
Ingredients
1 cup warm milk (dairy, rice, nut, soy)
3 Tbsp. butter, dairy free margarine or oil
1 Tbsp. yeast
2 3/4 cups Mama’s Almond or Coconut Blend Flour
1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cardamom (or cinnamon)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup currants
egg white mixed with 1 tsp. water
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1-2 Tbsp. milk (dairy, rice, nut, soy)
**Egg Free: Simmer 2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed with 1/2 cup water until thickened. This will equal 2 eggs.
Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Warm milk in microwave for about 1 minute. Add melted butter or oil. Sprinkle yeast over top of milk, stir slightly and set aside for 1-2 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, xanthan gum, salt, cinnamon or cardomom, nutmeg and sugar. Turn mixer on low speed and slowly pour in milk mixture. Add eggs. Beat on high speed for 2-3 minutes. Stir in currants. The dough will be very soft and a rubber scraper will run through the dough easily.
Spray an 8 inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Using a 2 inch scoop, scoop rounded scoops of dough into pan. (if you don’t have a 2 inch scoop use a 1/3 cup measuring cup) You should be able to get 3 rows across and 3 rows down. Dip fingers in warm water and gently smooth out tops by gently pressing on dough to form and even rounded mound without rough edges.
Cover with dry towel and allow to rise for 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
Brush tops with egg white wash. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.
Allow to cool for one hour. Mix together glaze and put into a small plastic bag. Cut off the corner of the bag and pipe glaze across buns forming a cross on each one. Enjoy!
P.S. I will update a better picture later. My perfect ones got eaten by my two ST. Bernards before I could take the picture! LOL!
Hot Cross Buns
- 1 cup warm milk (dairy, rice, nut, soy)
- 3 Tbsp. butter, dairy free margarine or oil
- 1 Tbsp. yeast
-
[url href=”http://store.glutenfreemama.com/gluten-free-flours/” target=”_blank”]2 3/4 cups Mama’s Almond or Coconut Blend Flour[/url]
- 1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cardamom (or cinnamon)
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup currants
- egg white mixed with 1 tsp. water
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Warm milk in microwave for about 1 minute. Add melted butter or oil. Sprinkle yeast over top of milk, stir slightly and set aside for 1-2 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl, combine flour, xanthan gum, salt, cinnamon or cardomom, nutmeg and sugar. Turn mixer on low speed and slowly pour in milk mixture. Add eggs. Beat on high speed for 2-3 minutes. Stir in currants. The dough will be very soft and a rubber scraper will run through the dough easily.
- Spray an 8 inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Using a 2 inch scoop, scoop rounded scoops of dough into pan. (if you don’t have a 2 inch scoop use a 1/3 cup measuring cup) You should be able to get 3 rows across and 3 rows down. Dip fingers in warm water and gently smooth out tops by gently pressing on dough to form and even rounded mound without rough edges.
- Cover with dry towel and allow to rise for 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
- Brush tops with egg white wash. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.
- Allow to cool for one hour. Mix together glaze and put into a small plastic bag. Cut off the corner of the bag and pipe glaze across buns forming a cross on each one. Enjoy!