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This Spiced Easter Treat is Tasty Any Time of Year
In the world of Easter breads, hot cross buns are some of the best. They’re not super colorful or big loaves of challah waiting to be cut, though. So what are hot cross buns? These sweet dough buns are eaten on Good Friday to celebrate the end of Lent. They’re stuffed with raisins and spices, and topped with a white-colored cross.
What is the significance of hot cross buns?
The history of hot cross buns is a little murky, but they have always had religious undertones. Pre-Christian times had cross buns, baked to celebrate the goddess Eostre, with the cut cross in the middle representing the coming of spring and the quadrants representing the moon phases. A white-ish cross was added by a monk in the 12th century to represent the crucifixion of Jesus. They’ve evolved from there to have an icing cross on the top.
What do hot cross buns taste like?
Hot cross buns are made from a sweet dough, but not so sweet that it’s overwhelming. They’re also spiced with warming spices (think things like cinnamon and nutmeg) and studded with raisins and citrus zest. That makes the taste lightly sweet and a little spicy, with a citrusy zing, all in a delicious yeasted bread package.
Why were hot cross buns banned?
Like many good things, hot cross buns eventually came to an end — albeit only for a little while. In 1592, the buns were banned in England at the behest of Queen Elizabeth. It wasn’t an out-and-out ban, though. English residents were still allowed to eat them on Good Friday, Christmas, and for funerals. Otherwise, hot cross buns were considered too holy to eat. But, that didn’t stop people from making them on the sly.
Home kitchens were filled with the sweet, spicy aroma of baking dough. Sneaky bakers got caught every now and then; when that happened, they were forced to relinquish all their delicious contraband and give it to the poor, on the spot. The ban didn’t stick, and was reversed until King James’ reign in the early 1600s, when he tried a similar ban. Again, it didn’t stick. You can’t deny the people their delicious pastries!
Bake your own hot cross buns
Unless you’ve banned hot cross buns in your own house, they’re a great option to bake for an Easter brunch. You can use them as a way to stretch your spice imagination, too. Typically, you’ll use at least cinnamon and allspice, but don’t be afraid to add something more fun, like cardamom and ginger!
First, make your dough. In a stand mixer (or a bowl if you like mixing and kneading by hand), mix together a packet of instant yeast, 4.5 cups of flour, a half cup of sugar, a pinch of salt, and 1.5 tablespoons of your preferred spice mix. Then add two cups of milk, a half cup of vegetable oil, a cup of raisins, and the zest from two oranges. Mix it all together with a dough hook on medium speed or until the dough becomes smooth and elastic and pulls away from the side of the mixing bowl. You may need to add more flour if the dough is too sticky.
Once the dough is mixed, cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled in size. This should take about an hour. After the rise, punch the dough down. With lightly floured hands, break your risen dough into balls about the size of golf balls, and place them on a lightly greased or parchment-covered cookie sheet. Cover them again and let them rise for another hour.
To get the crosses on top of the buns, you have a couple options. You can bake the buns now in a 400° oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown, then pipe on a cross with white icing when they’ve cooled. You can also cut deep crosses in the top of each bun before baking them, allowing the rise in the oven to create a natural cross. The most authentic ways to make the cross, though, are either by making a paste mixture of flour and water and painting on a cross before baking, or by making a shortcrust pastry and pressing strips into the buns in a cross shape before baking. The choice is yours!
Not in the mood to bake your own hot cross buns? Order Easter bread, breakfast, brunch, or other seasonal goodies on Goldbelly for home delivery.
